God of War
by I'm never happy
Summary: The story of a young boy as he grows and trains and discovers that he has more power in the war than anyone could have imagined.
1. Prologue

God of War

Prologue

In the beginning there were four and the four lived peacefully each guarding their own element. One of wind, one of fire, one of water, and one of earth. But then they wanted a leader, one to rule and guide them all. That was the day the Avatar was made. He governed all four of the elements and mastered them all and for many years they lived in peace while the Avatar guided their actions. Then the Avatar died and there was chaos. The four elements remembered how good the Avatar was and they recreated him, having a new avatar reincarnate at the death of the previous until the end of time.

It was as they were walking out of the theater. They where irritated for the show had mocked them all. They were quiet and reserved, trying not to attract attention, but the guards saw them.

"Why are you out past curfew?" the soldier said angrily.

"We were watching the play," one of them mumbled quietly.

"Where do your parents live?" one of the soldiers asked.

They were silent until the older teenager said, "Up on the eastern hill."

"Wait a minute," one of the guards said puzzling, "I know that face. Arrest them!" He exclaimed. "It's the traitor Zuko and the Avatar."

There was a sudden skirmish are a bunch of bending but then one of the Fire nation soldiers yelled, "Stop!" He was holding one of the boys by the collar with a knife across his neck.

"Come with me now!"

The children sensing their defeat allowed themselves to be bound and walked through the streets. Then they stopped, they had arrived at the ship. They were each put in their own cell guarded by two soldiers. When the last girl was securely locked up they began to set sail for the fire nation capital.

The soldiers guarding Zuko heard it first. A light thump followed by pitter patter as something scurried about. They didn't think much passing it off as some sort of rodent. They were wrong. The knife seemed to appear and disappear in an instant as it slit the one guard's throat. He swayed and then collapsed, dying a few moments later. The other guard stared in surprise, dumbstruck, before he met the same fate. Zuko saw the door open and an object flash by his eyes before he recognized the two slain guards.

Katara ran outside of her prison cell as soon as the door opened. She stopped and gasped when she saw the mess of blood on the floor. She then turned to the two dead men and examined them. They were both definitely stabbed; there was no doubt about it. She wondered what had happened. It was confusing so she decided to sneak off to the deck to see what was going on. When she set off she quickly encountered Sokka who also spoke of the slain soldiers. They both set off to the deck when they encountered Suki, Zuko, Toph, and finally Aang, all mentioning something about the death of their guards and their release.

When they came out onto the deck they saw a gruesome scene. There were bodies littering the place with their blood spilled across the floor. There were stab and hack marks in all of them but no trace of the killer. Katara checked all of the bodies to see if anyone could tell them what had happened here. As she kneeled down to check the last body, the man gasped saying, "It's the Assassin. He has come to kill us all. The Final arbiter decides who lives and dies. He has no mercy there is no hope!"

"No hope for you that is."

They all turned to the shadows, startled at the newcomer. As the man stepped from the shadows he revealed himself dressed in a black cloak with a hood. He had a belt carrying a sword. The man also had a knife in his hand. As he walked towards them he threw the knife. Katara yelped as she tried to dodge the incoming blade. The blade however was not meant for Katara but for the fire nation soldier and it found its mark ending the man's days. The cloaked man walked over and he took out a flask and poured water over his hands rinsing off the blood. He then took off his hood. Then Sokka, Suki and Katara gasped at the face revealed to them as Zuko exclaimed in surprise, "You?!"

"Yes," the young teenager smiled, "Me."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One Hatred

He woke up, exited for the day. He quickly got dressed ready to have fun. Just as he pulled on his shirt his "dad" poked his head in and said, "Breakfast!" with a smile on his face. He then frowned, "You should bundle up, it's going to be a cold one today."

"Thanks for the warning."

He threw on an extra sweater and followed his "dad" out. They where a nice adoptive family. They always treated him as if he was their son. His parents had died when he was six and he had no other relatives to keep him. They had taken him in because he had used to play with their kids a lot. Now however they weren't his friends, they where his brother and his sister. He raced out of the room eager to get to the day ahead. As he was running, a shape burst out of the shadows yelling "boo!" He jumped into the wall behind him tumbling over laughing on the ground.

"Good one Sokka," he said smiling, "you really got me."

"Thank you, I've been practicing," he said grinning. He and Sokka walked to the kitchen and sat down ready to eat breakfast.

"Good morning Sokka, Good morning Nazca."

"Good morning Mom." they said in unison.

"So what are you going to do today?"

"We're going to go snowball fighting!" Katara exclaimed bounding out of the hall.

"Well remember to bundle up, today is supposed to be a cold one." Their dad said, following Katara out of the hall.

"Okay," Sokka mumbled, not wanting to put on all of the extra clothing. The three kids quickly ate their breakfast and got their coats on. Their mom did a last minute check and then they set out side to enjoy themselves on the beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly on the southern water tribe. As they walked through the snow they saw many of their friends.

"Do we really have to have a snowball fight today?" Sokka complained.

"Yes!" Katara said smiling. "We haven't had one in like a week." She pleaded feigning desperateness.

"Actually it was two days ago," Sokka mumbled, consenting to Katara's wishes.

Nazca kept quite. In fact he would have done almost anything with Katara. She was the nicest kid to him and he liked her. She was fun to hang around with and she was pretty.

"Don't you want to have a snowball fight?" Katara asked Nazca, interrupting his train of thought but sincerely wanting his opinion.

"Sure," Nazca shrugged.

"Awe, come on. You know he'll agree to do anything with you," Sokka whined.

Nazca flushed embarrassed. "No! I just want to have a snowball fight." he stammered. Sokka rolled his eyes knowing the truth behind the situation.

They went on and started playing even Sokka enjoying the fun. They were having so much fun that they almost didn't notice it. But they did. Nazca was the one who saw it first.

"What's up with the black snow?" he asked amused. Katara tasted it and spat.

"It's soot," she said confused. They sat there wondering but then Sokka figured it out.

"It's the fire nation," he whispered.

"I'm going to tell Mom and Dad," Katara said urgently getting up and running in the direction of their home.

Sokka took out his boomerang, ready for a fight. They were only twelve years old but they understood what and what the fire nation were. They were evil invading their tribe attempting to conquer the world. Seeing Sokka take out his weapon Nazca pulled out the knife that his dad had give his on his sixth birthday, his most prized possession. He was ready. The fire nation came in small battalions and was met by sparse, unorganized groups of men.

Nazca set his eyes on a lone soldier standing there and then charged. The soldier looked at the screaming kid and smiled. He waited with his armed outstretched ready to catch this kid running at him as if he was going to tackle him. Didn't he know better? However, what the soldier didn't see was that Nazca was concealing the knife under his sleeve and pulled it out at the last second plunging the blade through the man's heart.

He pulled the knife out and stood there staring his mouth gaping in realization of what he had just done. The man collapsed in front of Nazca. The snow quickly became stained crimson as the blood poured out of the wound.

"Kid," Nazca heard a voice say, as someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Nazca turned around dazed. "Kid." the man said again, "It's over, they're gone. Come on, let's take you home," he said lifting him up.

Nazca followed him blankly unsure of what had just happened his mind racing trying to process everything that had just occurred. Suddenly he snapped out of it and broke free of the man's grasp, sprinting away. He had killed. He had ended a man's life. A man who had brothers and sisters and a mother and a father. Tears began filling his eyes as the revelation of what he just did hit him. He cried for a while, his future crumbling before him. Then like a switch had been thrown he lost all feeling. He instantly stopped crying. Apathy struck. He realized the decisions he had made had been forced upon him. And now, now he was going to punish those who did this to him.

Their mom was gone. Taken. Kidnapped. Killed. Gone and not coming back. That was what Katara had told him when he finally came back to the house. She had run up to him crying, blubbering that she was gone. She sat down with him crying into his shoulder crying for at least ten minutes. He tried to comfort her by telling her it was going to be okay but they both knew that it wasn't. Nazca didn't cry. He was done crying. Being sad and sitting around wouldn't help, taking action would. He knew he could not forgive the bastards that had invaded his home, killed his parents and then came again and killed Katara's mom. He needed revenge and he was going to get it. As Katara's tears turned into sniffles he knew what he had to do. He rotated and turned to Katara. He looked her in the eye and said, "Katara, I know this is terrible time you, but I can't stay. My destiny takes me elsewhere and I must leave to avenge our tribe." Nazca the stood up, kissed her on the forehead and left.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two Pain

He walked. He walked and kept on walking. He knew he had gotten out of the southern water tribe. He would have to go to the fire nation he could avenge them, avenge them all. He was unsure how long he had been walking for, it all just blended together, he didn't really know where he was, he was just walking and he wouldn't stop walking until it was over until the war ended. He heard it then. It was a scream and a sudden hacking noise. He rushed over to see what was going on and he saw it, a little girl was being held by a fire nation soldier while three soldiers lay dead on the ground. Two boys stood there frozen on the spot, with their comrade's life on hand they wouldn't dare do anything stupid.

"Drop your weapons!" the soldier yelled, "Now!"

The two kids slowly put their weapons down. One kid was rather large and muscular. He had a rather blank look to him that made him look stupid but what he lacked in brains he made up in with brawn. The other kid looked rather full of himself. He was thin, wiry and muscular for his size. He looked deep in thought, as if he was contemplating the different outcomes of this scenario.

"Now you listen to me," the soldier began, however he never finished. He gasped as he saw the knife appear in front of his throat.

"Now you listen to me," Nazca said, "let go of the girl and I'll let you go alive."

"How can I believe that if I let her go you won't just kill me?" the soldier said frantically.

"You really don't have a choice," Nazca said calmly. The soldier slowly let go of the girl. The girl sensing her relinquishment ran over to the other two boys. Nazca slowly pulled the knife away from the soldier's neck. The soldier breathed relieved that he was going to get away but then Nazca grabbed him and stabbed him in the back. The man grunted and then collapsed, dead.

The thin kid walked up to Nazca and said, "Thanks for what you did back there. You saved her life. By the way my name is Jet."

"No really, I saved her life?" Nazca replied sarcastically, annoyed at this kid. He was completely blatant and just after a few words Nazca was already irritated. He seemed full of himself and Nazca hated that.

"Listen," Jet said,"Is there any way we can reasonably repay you for what you did?"

Nazca thought for a moment, he was eager to get away from this kid but he realized that he might actually need him. His fighting techniques were basic and he knew that if he wanted to inflict some damage he would have to be more than a kid with a knife. He voiced this to Jet and Jet smiled agreeing.

Nazca spent a couple weeks training with Jet but it wasn't long before his fighting skills excelled beyond any of theirs. He seemed to improve ten times faster than any other kid, Jet remarked one sparring session. After one simple win against Jet, Jet said, "Well, that is about all that I can teach you. However if you want you can stay with me and my freedom fighters, we could use someone with fighting abilities as well as yours. Just by training with me you've become better than me"

Nazca thought about this, then said, "Sorry but I wanta go train more and see if I can become a master of fighting."

"If you want to become a master, I've heard stories about an elite source of fighters known as the Kyoshi warriors. Kyoshi Island isn't that far from here if you want to give it a shot."

Nazca thought about this then thanked them all for everything that they had they had done for him and then began on his journey to complete his training with the Kyoshi warriors.

He was hungry. He had not eaten anything in three days and he was hungry. He went into the first town he came across in search of food. He only had enough to buy a light snack but he knew that was all he needed to finish the rest of the journey. The island was supposedly only another day's hike away. As he was walking to the markets he saw something that he didn't like, tax collectors, fire nation tax collectors. Anger boiled over common sense and he decided to put his skills to the test. As he was walking towards them he saw that they where haggling a group of young girls. He was furious. Not only were they fire nation but they were also picking on girls? Adrenaline shot through his limbs as he approached them ready to slay them without a moment's notice. As he approached them he got right behind the rear guard and stabbed him in the back. The guard let out a little gasp and fell to the ground. The other guards where momentarily surprised at their comrades sudden death but then they saw Nazca and they drew their swords. The guards began to circle Nazca but were so angry that he attacked before they could get into formation. He hacked and chopped and stabbed at the guards. One guard tried to stab him with his spear but Nazca deflected it and followed up by stabbing him in the head. The other two guards proved to be slightly more difficult than the first two. One guard cut his leg before he finished him off and the other warded off most of his attacks before he finally knocked him down. The final guard hadn't intervened with the fight and waited for Nazca to finish them off before he attacked. This guard was highly skilled he attacked and kept on pressing Nazca. Nazca was soon cornered. He saw one of the girls begin to step forward to help him but she was stopped by another one. Nazca was slowly losing strength. Believing that he was soon to be dead he desperately used his knife to knock the soldiers sword out of the way and then he tackled him. Both their weapons skittered away as they landed on the solid ground. Nazca rolled away from the guard and got into a fighting stance. The soldier slowly got up and smiled at Nazca. Then he released a torrent of fire.

Nazca had never had to fight a bender, especially while he was weaponless, so he did the only thing that made sense. He jumped out of the way. The bender continued pressing his attack as Nazca ducked and dove. Nazca soon became breathless and he stumbled and fell. The soldier walked up to him and smiled then he released his final attack. Nazca saw the fire coming towards him. Believing death was imminent he searched for any energy he could to stop it. He found it. As if he was awakened he felt the new element entering him, a power he had never known before, the power to bend.

The water seemed to appear out of nowhere. The guard saw one moment this kid was facing death, the next he was. The water hit the fire bender at high speeds and sent him flying. Nazca slowly got up, feeling this new power he wanted to test it. He smiled as the water slowly beat the fire nation soldier, pounding him with all the energy he had. Then he raised the water into a spear and drove it through the man's heart. Nazca released the water and then collapsed exhausted. He felt a presence appear above him and pick him up.

"Where are you taking me?" he asked slowly losing consciousness.

A girl's voice responded, "Somewhere safe."

He relaxed hoping that they weren't lying and then passed out.

He woke up, sore and somewhere unfamiliar. He heard some people whispering nearby and he groaned, turned to them and said,"Who are you and where am I?"

One of the girls walked over to him and said, "We are the Kyoshi warriors and this is our camp,"

The name Kyoshi sounded familiar to him, then he remembered, "Wait, aren't you like known as being the greatest fighters there are,"

"That would be us," the girl said with a smirk.

"Can you train me?"

The girl frowned, "Normally we don't train outsider's especially not men but you did defend us so I guess we could help you out, however there is one condition," she said smirking, " you must follow all our customs including dressing in our uniform."

"Deal," Nazca smiled, exactly what he was looking for.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Suki. And yours?"

"Nazca."

"Well then, we had best get started, since you're awake and ready I assume."

Direct and straight into business. He got up and followed her to the sparring grounds where he began a grueling practice. He practiced and practiced, day after day. He was getting better though. Suki taught him how to walk to run to hide and to fight. She was changing every aspect of him so that he could become not only a true Kyoshi warrior but also a master of the blade. After one very long and grueling practice Nazca finally bested her. She was standing there with his sparring tool pointed at her throat. She smiled and said,"Now let's put those skills to the test."

She roused him early the next morning and told him to get ready. She gave him a black cloak that she told him was his and to be used for stealth missions. He put it on and she gave him a belt to hold his sword and knife. After putting all of it in she gave him some leather armor and grieves. When he was completely dressed he came out and said, "How do I look?"

"Like a true warrior," she responded with a smile. She then told him that they or he was going to infiltrate a fire nation base and eliminate the authority without being detected to ensure that word of the Kyoshi warriors did not become involved in the war, "Technically we just trained you." Then after that he would escape undetected.

Suki turned to ask Nazca if he was ready but he was already gone heading into battle.

As he approached the camp he saw that there were a number of tents set up and maybe twelve guards on duty. They had nearly every inch covered. Nazca was starting to sweat, it was a cool morning, a light fog covering his motion but he had no idea what to do. There where guards every where all across the forest floor. It would be impossible to try to sneak around them. Then Nazca smiled, it wouldn't be impossible to sneak over them however.

No one saw him enter the tent, no one even saw him leave when he realized that it wasn't the tent he was looking for. Nazca sighed quietly. How was he supposed to be able to know which tent was headquarters? Then he saw it. Of course; it was the tent with the fire nation insignia embroidered with gold. Who else would have a tent like them? He walked over to the tent undetected and then quietly slipped under the side. He nearly screamed. It was just his luck to have rolled right next to a sleeping general. Luckily for Nazca, the general had drank too much yesterday and was not likely to wake up for a while. Nazca sat up. There were four people total inside the tent. All of them dead asleep. They were soon all dead. Nazca lay back as he slit the last general's throat. Finally the quiet part was over and he could leave. Then the commander came into the room.

He had emerged from a section of the room that Nazca had believed was just the far side of the tent it was however the commander's quarters. The commander stopped and yawned he then said, "Rise and shine boys, we got a long day ahead of us."

Upon seeing no response the commander said it again. When nothing happened he went over to the nearest one and nudged him and then even kicked him. Upon seeing nothing he bent down to check the man and realized instantly that the man was dead. Surprised he stumbled backwards. He looked around the room and saw nothing, he was about to alert the guards when Nazca, who had been hiding under a sheet reached out and grabbed him. The man yelped in surprise but Nazca quickly stabbed him. Nazca then checked around the rest of the tent to make sure there was no one else in there. Upon seeing nothing he left.

"C'mon what's he doing?"

"I'm sure he will come out in a second, it is his first time after all," Suki said.

They had been waiting for five minutes and nothing had happened. It was aggravating that he was taking so long but Suki was also worried about Nazca. Sure, he had been great at practice, but what if something happened to him. Sensing her discomfort one of the other girls came over and said, "I'm sure he will be okay, besides he dealt with that fire bender easily enough and that was when he had no training."

"Thanks," Suki said warmly still unsure what was going to happen.

"Yeah I'm sure I'll be fine."

"Nazca," Suki exclaimed jumping towards the boy who just appeared there, "Did you do the job?"

"Yep," Nazca replied, "Look at my hands" he said, raising them.

The archer was hiding in the trees nearby. He had seen the warriors standing there and hadn't known what they where up to until the kid came back with blood on his hands. The arrow was meant to kill Nazca and it would have if he didn't hear it. He tried to dodge it but he wasn't fast enough. The arrow flew right through the bridge if his nose, cutting his eyes. Blood poured out of the gash and pain seared through Nazca as he collapsed. He couldn't see there was too much blood, he was helpless lying on the forest floor, and he was blind.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter three The Blind Bandit

His eyes hurt. They hurt a lot. He tried to open them but he realized that they were already open, he was blind. Nazca, the Kyoshi warrior that never was now can't see. His life was over, now he would not even be able to walk without the help of something or someone, it was pitiful.

He heard a movement in the corner and someone whispering, "He's awake."

He felt someone move towards him and then he heard Suki whisper, "Hey, are you okay."

"No, how do I look. What happened?"

"There was an archer hidden in the trees. He saw you and tried to kill you, luckily for you he wasn't the best of shots and it only skimmed you. However it did pass right through the bridge of your nose cutting your eyes. As for how you look, you have a scar passing right through your eyes and the bridge of your nose."

"What the hell am I going to do if I can't see?"

"Well, you know they say that if you lose one sense another sense gets excelled."

"What sense could excel to actually help me be a warrior?"

"I don't know. Hearing might help."

"What could hearing do to help me be a fighter? Sure I might be able to hear people moving but that doesn't give me exact targets now does it."

Suki sat there thinking. It seemed like there was nothing that he could do. He was blind; he wouldn't be able to live to the full potential of the soldier she had believed she was training. Here he was helpless; she started crying in discomfort, she had failed him. Nazca put an arm around her trying to comfort her. They sat like that for a couple moments and then Suki realized something, "Wait, how did you know that I was crying?!"

"I don't know. I guess just heard you.'

"No," she exclaimed, "you felt me with your water bending, I didn't make a sound when I was crying."

"Okay so…" Nazca asked uncertain what she was getting at.

"You can see with your water bending!"

"How"

"There is water in the air right, so you can sense them too," she said eagerly

"Or I can feel the blood moving through bodies!" Nazca realized. He then tried to concentrate, he tried to feel the moisture in the air but it was so hard to find something you couldn't see, besides he had never really practiced his water bending he wasn't really good at it. The only reason he was able to defeat the fire bender with it was because he had been in a moment of desperation and he had just found this new power. He tried harder and harder to sense his surrounding and then he felt it. At first he felt a couple of particles floating nearby his body and then his range of view began to expand. It was cloudy because he had to picture everything in his mind but he slowly made out the shape of his body and the blood moving through it. He concentrated on his body trying to find the exact shape of his body. He passed over his wounds and found the shape of his sores. It was a strange feeling, seeing with his mind but he gradually grew accustomed to it. He then decided to reach out with his consciousness to feel Suki. He traced her with his mind; scouring every inch of surface he felt the slight layer of sweat, the moisture from her exhaling breath and the beat of her heart. He smiled to himself and began to expand his area of sight. He began to feel the other people in the tent and then he felt the tent itself. He moved on to the trees and the people outside the tent. He felt an empty space where particles kept disappearing that he guessed was a fire. He also felt the movements of different objects as they broke apart nearby water particles. He even felt the swords down at the training grounds slicing through the water particles as they raced towards their targets.

"I am ready," Nazca said confidently as he stood up, "Now let's go to the training grounds."

"What!" Suki exclaimed worried, "You just went blind and now you want to fight, sure waterbending might help you but I only wanted to boost your morale, I didn't think you would take it so literally!"

"I know that, but I am ready now," he walked over to his sword and picked it up, "Let's go"

"How," Suki whispered amazed that the blind boy casually picked up a sword as if he knew exact where it was.

They walked over to the training grounds and got into their stances.

"Come at me slowly at first but as I get better pick up speed," Nazca told her.

Nazca then began to expand his mind. He felt more things that the average person could see. He saw the entire training grounds and everything around it. Then the fan started moving at him. It was extremely slow; a sloth could have dodged it. He laughed as he raised his sword blocking it, "C'mon I know you're better than that."

Suki couldn't believe it, how did he know. She then tried striking slowly again which he easily parried. She started to pick up speed but she couldn't touch him, frustrated she took on her battle stance and the fight began. They exchanged blows all of them blocked but Nazca saw everything coming at him and blocked it all easily; soon Suki was out of breath.

"More" Nazca smiled ready to take on an entire army, "I need more!" sex?

A group of ten girls walked over, ready to defeat this blind boy. They all stepped into fighting stances and waited to strike. Then Suki made the first move. Nazca moved with incredible speed as he saw each strike coming long before the average fighter. He dodged and parried every single move. He quickly took them all down, tripping them and knocking away their weapons. It wasn't long before the fight was over and all the girls where down. They all stared at him, amazed at what a blind kid could do. "I'm ready to become a true Kyoshi warrior."

It was a complex ceremony of strange rituals and honors. They talked about the beginning and the reincarnation of the Avatar in order to preserve harmony in all of the elements. They talked about unity and power, there were stories and poems and dances all to inundate a new fighter. They told him that he must serve the good of the world and he must be informed on the truth behind all things so that he is able to discern evil from good and so he does not fight for personal gain and he is willing to sacrifice for the good of all. They made him swear to vows of this sort and when it was over the celebration began. They danced and ate and were happy. Nazca danced with Suki and during this time all of his problems seemed to float away. He forgot about the war and why he was here and he enjoyed himself, not wanting this happiness to end. During the commotion that followed the celebration, Suki hurried him away from the others. She like him was happy about the ongoing events.

"So where are we going?" Nazca asked her as she pulled him through the woods.

"Somewhere private." For sex.

They continued moving until Suki seemed sure that there was no one around.

"So what's up?" Nazca asked.

She stared at him, wondering what to say, "When you came here you where a helpless kid trying to be someone. The other girls didn't want to help you. They thought that you would be like all boys and be sexist, that you would believe you where superior but I persuaded them to give you a chance. But you have come so far, you have trained pressingly not daring to question anything you said and now you are a true warrior and a better fighter than any of us."

"Where are you going with this?" Nazca asked confused.

She smiled at him and then leaned forward and kissed him. She kissed him and she poured her heart out in that single kiss. She gave him her love on a silver platter. Nazca kissed her back. He realized that he loved her. That after all of those times of training together he actually had feelings for her.

He pulled apart from the kiss smiling. "I love you," he said.

She smiled then said, "I love you too but I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Nazca said frowning.

"I forced you into this into a relationship even though I knew you couldn't stay. I knew that you had to leave and for some reason I tied myself to you like this."

Nazca realized this was true. In all the commotion he had forgotten why he had really come here. It had almost been three years since he left home and he had grown so much.

"How about one last dance?" he asked

They raced by to the party and took the front and center. Suki smiled at Nazca then told her, "Let's Fight."

The music was a perfect beat, Nazca realized as he took a wide fighting stance then with a smile the fight began. Nazca came in with a light kick which Suki blocked returning with a wide swipe with her fist. Nazca ducked spinning around her then jumped and came down lightly with a kick. Suki rolled on the ground then threw herself into a standing position. She cart wheeled back at Nazca and this time Nazca caught her. He twirled her around him and then dipped her right as the music ended. He looked at her smiling, kissed her and then left.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four. The Avatar

It was time. It was time for him to return home. He had to ensure the safety of his people and the only way that he could do that was to be there. He wondered how Katara would react, seeing him again. Would she forgive him for what he had done? He was worried for her. He just had to be sure that she was safe. So he began his journey home. He met no one along the way, keeping to side roads so that he wouldn't be discovered. He did not want to get into a fight. He was trying to get to the south pole as fast as he could.

It was a difficult journey but he made it. As he approached the last drift that separated him and the tribe he began to wonder what would he say to Katara, what could he say? As he hit the top of the drift he stood there proudly facing the village. He spread out his consciousness to find the village and he gasped. There was no village. Well there were the remnants of a small fortress and maybe twenty people but everyone else was gone. He raced down the hill determined to figure out what was going on. He ran by a couple kids younger than him, they all stared at the strange newcomer but he didn't pay attention. He was determined to figure out what had happened here and the children were too young to know what had happened. He kept running scanning the huts determined to find Katara, Sokka or their parents but he found nothing. He then looked around for anyone that he knew and he finally found her. She was a couple huts away and he walked over unsure where to begin. He took a deep breath, opened the door, walked in and said, "Hi Gran-Gran"

"Nazca, is that you? My, it's been a long time. Why come in please and have a seat. Katara and Sokka are just out fishing right now. They should be back soon."

Nazca sighed, relieved. So they where here, just fishing. But that didn't explain the disappearance of more than half the village.

"My how old are you now?" Gran -Gran asked curious.

"Fifteen, it's only been three years."

"Still three years is a long time."

"What happened here?"

"Well," she began, "Soon after you left all of the men left to aid the earth kingdom's war efforts and our tribe depleted extremely."

"There are no more men hear?" Nazca asked surprised.

"Only Sokka and he isn't really a man yet."

"Wow. Umm are you guys here all right. I mean no one has been bothering you right. Katara, she's okay, right?"

Gran-Gran smiled, "Your concern is appreciated but everything here is going well. Nothing has really happened."

As if on cue Nazca suddenly felt an outburst of energy. It was raw power. It was coming from a great distance and yet he still felt it.

"What was that?" he asked.

Gran-Gran shrugged. They both walked outside to see what the commotion was. When Gran-Gran walked outside she gasped.

"What is it?" Nazca asked, unable to see what the disturbance was.

"Can't you see it?"

"No, actually I'm blind. I thought that you had figured that out by now."

"What!?"

"I'll tell you about it later but now I need to know what is going on."

"There is a giant source of light over to the south."

"Point which way." She did and he nodded.

"Do you know what or who could have caused that?" she shook her head, and then she gasped.

"Katara and Sokka went fishing in that direction!"

"I'll go check it out." he said getting ready to go.

"No, whatever it is I am sure that they will be fine."

Nazca felt something. A sudden force pushing him away. It was determined to send him away. He felt like never been here in the first place, like this journey was a huge mistake.

"I don't know why but I shouldn't be here. I'm going to leave now and I don't want anyone to know that I was here. So please Gran-Gran, don't tell anyone, not even Katara that I was here."

"I promise that no one will know that you where here. Good luck Nazca at whatever you are doing."

"Thank you," Nazca said bowing to her. He then turned and left. He silently left the tribe making sure that no one saw him. As he boarded his boat he sadly thought back to all the times that he had spent with Katara. Although he wanted to stay the force was too strong he would punish the nation that interrupted his life. He knew that the nation was not evil it was just corrupted by the selfish men who ruled and he would make sure that they would stop with this pain and suffering that they had thrust upon the world. He would avenge them all. He began to set sail unsure where he was going but he now had a purpose. He decided he would first train as a water bender at the northern water tribe.

He had been sailing for a day when he felt it, a ship sailing towards him. It was a big ship. He quietly picked up his stuff and prepared for the worst. As the ship approached he reached out with his mind to try to figure out who was on this ship. It was the uniforms that gave them away. If they had not been wearing the classic fire nation armor they would have been fine, but they were. Time to put his skills to the test he decided.

The guard's death was quick and painless. Nazca quickly disguised himself using the guard's armor. He was now infiltrating a fire nation navy ship. Time to take out headquarters. He searched the ship mentally looking for the captain's quarters or the quarters of someone powerful. He found them both empty. He searched the ship for someone who seemed to be in charge. He found a couple men not in uniform. One was the operator of the boat, presumably the captain, another was an old man who was playing some game with a group of non-soldier personnel, another was the chef and the last was a lone teenager standing on the bow. Nazca assumed that the eldest of the men must be the head of command and the teenager must be his kid along for the ride. Nazca approached the old man's location and just as he was about to reveal himself to him he heard something. He heard the kid at the deck yelling to change their course. The old man grumbled something but then said to the teenager, "I will be in my quarters changing if you need anything."

The teenager then yelled, "Guards, get in formation. We are about to invade the southern water tribe. It shouldn't be much of a fight but after we defeat them we will arrest the avatar. He will have had over a hundred years to train so be prepared for the worst!"

The avatar was here. That must have been the source of power Nazca concluded. He had heard stories of this master of all the elements, he had heard that he was the only one who could defeat the fire nation but for some reason he vanished leaving the world helpless to the fire nation's wrath. When he was younger he had believed such tales but recently he had seen them as mere fables used to raise the hope of the desperate. But he was real. And he was about to be attacked and imprisoned. Nazca knew that he would have to do something if they succeeded in capturing the avatar. He had a dramatic shift in priorities. He couldn't let this old man be defeated. He was the only true hope of defeating the fire lord. Sure he had believed he could assassinate the fire lord but he knew that the fire lord was too powerful and too well guarded. sex How did he know

He couldn't intervene now because if he failed the avatar could still be captured. He would have to wait to see the outcome of the battle and free the avatar if necessary. Sure it was risky but it was his best shot. As they approached the tribe the soldiers went into battle formation. Nazca mimicked them and took his spot at the end of the line. He noticed that the young teenager seemed to be in charge rather than the old man. Then, the moment of truth. He felt them crash through the walls of the small fort and he felt the people flee. One kid; Sokka, he realized, had positioned himself right in front of the ship and was about to be ran over. Sensing imminent doom Nazca pushed the ice that Sokka was standing on back a little so that he was out of range of the ship. Nazca smiled as the ship came to a halt after crashing through the insignificant barriers of the fort, Sokka would be the one kid who would try to stop a full size ship.

Then the gate opened and revealed them to the outside world. As soon as the steam had cleared Nazca and the other fire nation soldiers began to march out of the hull. Sokka foolishly charged at the young teenager who easily blocked his attack and tossed him effortlessly into the snow. He and the rest of the guards marched on the villagers a group of fifteen or so with at least half of them being woman who all stared frightened at the teenager. The teenager walked forward and asked them, "Where is he! I know your hiding him." Seeing no response from the villagers he reached out and grabbed Gran-Gran yelling, "He would be about this old, master of all four elements!"

Once again no response came from the villagers and he released her. Then once again Sokka foolishly charged at the teenager. He was easily tripped and his weapon skittered away. He got up again grabbing a spear and charged. The teenager broke the spear in multiple pieces and tossed Sokka to the ground. As a last ditch attempt Sokka threw something at him but missed. Nazca smiled at this clever weapon. The teenager took a step forward to hit him but the boomerang flew back and nailed the teenager in the back of the head. Nazca smiled and then froze. There was that energy again and it was coming fast. Nazca knew that he couldn't be out here and he quickly stole into the ship unnoticed. He felt the strange energy approaching the feeling that he had to get out of here growing stronger. Then a small boy riding a penguin otter seemed to appear out of nowhere and swept the teenager off his feet. He heard the kids of the water tribe yell, "Aang!" at the newcomer happily. The kid named Aang stood up and faced the teenager. Nazca was confused. This kid seemed to be source of the energy and the vibe telling him to leave. His confusion was soon answered. The kid sent an unseen force at the teenager. The force of air. The remaining guards where cast off in the flurry of wind and Aang said,"Looking for me."

The teenager stumbled, "You're the Avatar."

The villagers gasped at the seeming to be new information. So this kid was the avatar. That explained the extreme energy searing from him. Suddenly the teenager attacked. The kid Aang seemed to be better than him and easily blocked and dodged most of the teen's blows but after a wave of fire threatened to hurt some of the villagers he surrendered himself as long as the rest of the village would be left alone.

They bound Aang and brought him aboard the ship. They soon set sail.

They brought Aang to the dock where all the soldiers grouped together.

"Zuko, what would you like us to do with the prisoner." one of the guards asked the teenager.

"Take him to the prison hold," the teenager called Zuko responded. The guard gestured to Nazca to help him with Aang and Nazca agreed. The other guard took the lead as Nazca followed behind them both. They were walking down the corridor underneath the deck when Aang said, "I bet I could beat you with my hands tied behind my back."

Nazca smiled but the other guard said, "Quite!"

Nazca felt the whole thing happening and he could have easily stopped it but he instead just stood there appearing to be oblivious. He felt the sudden inhale and the stance take place. He then felt the kid blow a huge amount of air out sending Nazca flying back and the other guard smacked into the door in front of him. He would have been fine but something strange happened. Aang brushed up against him. Being so close to Aang earlier almost had Nazca wanted to vomit but when Aang touched Nazca that was all he could take. It felt like white hot metal on his flesh causing him to quickly lose consciousness and before he hit the ground he was out.

When he woke up he felt that their ship was in a port somewhere. He was lying in a bed with the old man sitting across from him. He shifted his body into a sitting position and faced the old man.

"You took a rather large hit from the avatar," the old man said talking to him.

"Some of your friends thought you weren't going to wake up at all but with proper sleep I was able to restore your health."

"How long was I unconscious for?"

"Three days. Like I said you took a big hit."

"No, I didn't," Nazca said quietly, "the avatar blasted me with wind but something else knocked me out. What happened? Why did he feel so powerful?" Nazca asked the old man.

"After the avatar escaped from you two he retrieved his staff and began fighting my nephew. Then he entered a super powered state known as the avatar state and easily defeated us. Two people from the water tribe one a boy, the other a girl came with a flying bison, and then they flew away. Right now we are getting repairs for our ship. The avatar blocked a fireball we sent at him and caused a large mound of snow to land on our ship." Sex really? You need to repair fracking SNOW damage? Try ice or something more manly. Like rocks.

Nazca stretched himself out. He was about to get up but then he realized that his helmet wasn't on. The old man must have noticed he was blind. He tried to think of some way to explain how he could see. He decided he would have to just leave if they asked him about it. He reached for his helmet to put it on when the man said, "I am the only person on this boat who knows the current condition of your eyes and your age and if you want I will keep it that way."

"That would be much appreciated, thank you," he said bowing, "What is your name?"

The old man laughed, "You have been here how long and still do not know my name?"

"It seemed to have slipped my mind, I remember you saying something and I think it started with a "Z" but I am unsure what it actually is."

He laughed again, "My nephew's name is Zuko. My name is Iroh."

So the old man's name was Iroh and it was his nephew, Zuko, who was trying to capture the avatar and was the authority aboard the ship. Nazca stood up and put on his helmet. Iroh then said, "You'll have to excuse me I'm going to help my nephew find someone who can help us with our ship."

Later that day a group of soldiers boarded the ship. Nazca felt them corner each member of the crew alone and interrogate them. They slowly made their way to Nazca's position. Nazca sat down and waited for them to come. As they rounded the corner Nazca heard one of them yell, "There's the last one." They walked over to him and said, "We have a few questions to ask you."

"Okay."

One man, an older man with a shaggy beard who seemed as though he was in his forties stepped forward, pulled a nearby barrel in front of him and sat down. He sighed then said, "I have already questioned the rest of the crew and I just want to get one more opinion of what transpired over the course of the past week. So tell me, do you have any idea about the existence of whereabouts about the one called the Avatar."

Nazca smiled, "To tell you the truth I really have no idea."

"Liar," the soldier snapped.

"No seriously I've been unconscious for the past three days."

The guard looked at him quizzically, "Have you heard anything from the rest of the crew?"

"I just told you I've been unconscious for the past three days I haven't exactly heard anything."

"Very well," the man sighed, he then stood up and signaled to the other soldiers to follow him. Nazca felt them walk away and wondered what the other guards had told him.

He walked down to the crew's quarters where most of the men where. He stepped inside the room and realized the men were eating.

He walked over to grab a bowl of soup when one of the men grabbed his arm and pulled him down to face level. He looked at him in the eyes then said, "What's up?"

"Nothing much."

"Gees man," the guard said kicking his feet up on the table, "Relax a little bit take off your helmet and enjoy your break. Zuko's going to be back soon and he's gonna' be pissed seeing as we all ratted about the avatar," The man laughed, "All he ever thinks about is the avatar, now he has some competition." Sex is this the Canadian guy from atas?

Nazca smiled then took off his helmet.

The one man laughed, "I should have known you where a newbie. So welcome to the ship, the name's Quan. This here is Vahn," He said pointing to a heavily bearded man, "Feln and Zilk," He said pointing to two men playing some game, "and this is Hevh." He said pointing to a bulky man sitting in the corner, "He doesn't talk and don't worry he won't hurt you unless you piss him off." he said laughing.

Nazca smiled, "I'm Nazca," he said, grabbing a bowl of soup.

"So your part of Zuko's guard huh,"

"Yeah guess so," he said sitting down.

"Hah," Quan said, "Hate your job already and you haven't been here a day. So what did Zuko have to do to get you? Sleep with Zhao?"

Nazca laughed, "Nah, I was just tired of sitting around doing nothing so I asked Zuko is he needed an extra man, turns out he did and now I'm hired."

"Well good for you," Quan said.

Then they heard a door slam somewhere and someone yelling.

Quan sighed, "Guess Zuko's back. C'mon let's go. Stick with Feln, he's a guard too, smart too. He'll tell you what to do."

Nazca got up and went over to Feln, "So what are we supposed to do."

Feln smiled, "Just stand around and do nothing, if we ever encounter the avatar again follow me and pretend to be trying."

"Seems easy enough,"

"It is."

They were heading to Kyoshi Island. Zuko had just gotten word of the avatar's location and they were racing to capture him. He heard one of the men that they had almost reached land. He got up and followed Feln out to the unloading area. They had picked up some beasts that they were going to raid Kyoshi with. Nazca felt them hit land and they got ready to invade. The ship's hull opened and they began the raid. They quickly covered the distance between the village until they were right at the head of the small cluster of huts. Zuko told them to search the houses and Feln who was steering their beast they were both riding on began to move forward. Nazca heard him whisper, "The avatar probably already left but might as well act as if we're trying."

Nazca smiled then opened up his mind. He smiled. Then he felt them jump down and knock Feln off the beast. He jumped off the beast and ran over to the nearest house and jumped inside. He was immediately confronted with a group of people and then one girl, a Kyoshi warrior. He smiled then said, "Hi Sonja."

The stepped back surprised, "How do you know me?" she demanded.

Nazca reached up and pulled off his helmet, "I'm back."

"Nazca!" She yelled giving him a hug, then she frowned and stepped back, "Why are you with the fire nation?"

"I'm trying to protect the avatar in case this idiot captures him." he said with a smile.

He expanded his mind searching outside and felt the avatar was back.

"So he is here," Nazca said with a smile.

"Yeah, he came by a couple days ago and stayed since. Guess what?" She said with a mischievous smile.

"What?"

"You've got some competition." she said her face spreading in a grin.

"What do you mean?"

"Suki found a new boyfriend!"

"Who?" Nazca asked confused.

She shrugged, "some boy from the Southern water tribe called Sakko."

"Sokka! He's here too?"

"Yeah along with some water tribe girl."

"Katara, Sokka and the avatar. Didn't expect they would venture so far from home."

All of the sudden Nazca felt the avatar getting ready to leave. Then he felt her, Suki kneeling twenty feet away behind a building talking to someone, Sokka he realized. "I have to go," he said to Sonja, getting up to leave.

"Good luck," she said.

He ran out of the room and ran over to where Sokka and Suki where. Then he stopped. He felt Suki lean over to Sokka, her lips puckered. The moment seemed to last a life time. He felt her kiss him. He stopped confused, and then Feln was next to him. "C'mon let's go. The avatar's leaving."

Nazca jumped on the beast confused thinking about what happened. He felt someone, Suki running towards their group then she stopped as she saw it was too late. He felt her collapse, water starting to form around her eyes. He felt confusion flooding his brain, mixed emotions colliding in a maelstrom of chaos. Then Nazca passed out.

He awoke to something smashing nearby. He sat up confused, and then he realized he was back in the crew's quarters. He stood up and expanded his mind. He realized that the noise he heard was in fact an explosion. One of the boats engines had been damaged by something. Nazca began heading upstairs when he realized he had no idea where his uniform was. He reached out with his mind exploring the ship then he felt something fly by the ship. He reached out even farther and realized that they were under attack. He felt fireballs flying through the air crashing in water around them. Nazca realized they might not care if he was in uniform and might just appreciate his help. He sprinted upstairs to the deck. On his way he ran into Quan.

"What's going on?" Nazca asked surprised.

"We're chasing the avatar and it seems as if we're not the only ones after him. Admiral Zhao is trying to shoot him out of the air but we're on the other side of those fireballs and stupid Zuko won't realize that there's no chance of getting through the blockade."

Just then Nazca felt them pass two ships line up transverse to them. Then someone yelled, "Yeah, we got through the blockade."

Nazca coughed trying to cover a laugh. Quan looked at him angrily, "you might want to put a uniform on," he said, "Here let's go get yours."

"Where's the avatar going?" Nazca asked.

"We think he's headed to Avatar Roku's Temple why?"

Nazca smiled, "Just curious."

He followed Quan back down to the crew's quarters. Nazca walked over and grabbed his bag which contained his father's knife, his Kyoshi Warrior uniform and the Black Cloak he had gotten from the Kyoshi warriors.

"Here," Quan said handing Nazca a bag containing his Fire Nation uniform.

Nazca looked at Quan then said, "You have to be a complete idiot to not have realized that I'm blind by now."

Quan looked at him angrily then said, "I was going to say something but I figured it would be impolite to mention it."

"So you figured it was completely normal for a blind kid to walk around like he could see?"

Quan stuttered, "Well."

"Because of the kindness you've shown me I'll spare you life," Nazca interrupted, "but you won't mention my disappearance to anyone, understand?"

Quan stuttered, "What?!"

"I said understand!?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure," Quan said confused, "But wait, you're leaving."

"Idiot, I'm a waterbender." Nazca then ran up to the dock with his bag over his shoulder and jumped off, only to land on Zuko's patrol ship that had just left the hull.

He landed quietly on top of the boat, crouching as he landed. He felt Zuko inside alone. Nazca jumped down off the roof, snuck into a large compartment, made some room for himself and went to sleep.

When Nazca woke up they were docked at a village, the patrol ship back inside the boat. Nazca snuck off the ship to see if he could find some food. He quickly found a restaurant, snuck in and stole some bread and water. He quickly returned to the boat to grab his bags. As he was getting his bags he felt someone come down in the hull. Nazca quickly stole away into the compartment and waited for this person to leave. Zuko, he realized did not leave but instead got on the boat along with some soldiers and his uncle.

Nazca felt the patrol boat leave the main boat and he realized he had a long journey ahead of him so he went to sleep.

Nazca woke up to a sudden jolt. He sat up surprised and smacked his head against the roof. He shook his head clearing it of pain and expanded his sight. He realized that he was about to go over a waterfall. He quickly opened the hatch and stood up on the boat just as it began to fall over. Nazca jumped away from the boat and dove into the water below using waterbending to soften the blow. He then expanded his mind just in time to feel the Avatar and his sky bison fly away.

Nazca smiled. The avatar would be safe for now. Then he began to head north.

One day as Nazca was resting in a temple he felt someone draw near. He felt the avatar approach him along with Sokka and Katara. Nazca immediately realized that Sokka was sick and Katara was getting sick too. Nazca felt the avatar, Aang leave in search of medicine. Nazca was tempted to stop and reveal himself to his friends in the absence of the avatar but he knew that he should try to make sure Aang's trip went smoothly. It didn't. As soon as he had learned what would cure them he was ambushed and attacked by archers. Nazca was able to take out three of them but they were so spread out that by the time he reached the third one Aang had already been captured. Nazca followed the group to a prison where Aang was to be held until the commander Zhao was able to transport Aang to the fire nation capitol. Nazca had no idea what to do. There were way to many guards for him to be able to sneak Aang out and he had no intention of allowing the young avatar to spot him. He tried to come up with a plan that would allow Aang to get out without seeing him but to no avail. Then he realized it. Zuko's passion to capture the avatar would surly push him to try to kidnap the avatar Nazca realized. And he already knew Aang could take Zuko in combat. He then set off to locate the fire prince Zuko.

It wasn't very hard to find him but it took some time. He finally found the coordinates of his boat from a fire navy base. He set off to board the boat and convince him to capture the avatar. When he reached the ship he set a grappling hook over to the deck. He quickly scaled the side of the ship leaving his boat behind to drift in the sea. Once he boarded the ship he set off to locate Zuko's quarters making sure he wasn't seen. He quickly found the young teenager he quietly slipped into his room.

"What are you doing in here?" Zuko yelled at the boy who had intruded into his private quarters, "Who are you!?"

"My name is not important however the information I carry is important for you and you alone and I would appreciate if my presence here was not exposed."

"Well what do you have to say," Zuko asked angrily.

"I bring you bad news," Nazca began, "The avatar has been captured by commander Zhao."

Zuko stared at him wild eyed, "No it can't be. Your lying, I know it."

Nazca shook his head saying, "I wish that it wasn't true but it is."

"My honor. How will I be able to redeem myself now that my only chance of restoring my honor is in the hands of Zhao? What am I going to do?"

"Shut up about your honor and listen," Nazca replied hastily, "just because Zhao has the avatar doesn't mean that the avatar is in the fire nation. You still have a chance."

"What are you suggesting I do?"

"I'm suggesting that you be the good guy. All you have to do is sneak into the camp grab the avatar and get out. He'll believe that you are on his side and will be easy to capture. In the end it all works out in your favor."

"How do I know that this isn't a trick? Why didn't you just capture him?'

"I can't answer that but you need to take my word for it. I know that it isn't much but if you really want to restore your honor you'll listen to me. Besides I brought something for you." Nazca went into the bag he was carrying and pulled out three things. Upon Zuko's examination two of them where broad swords and the other was a mask. A blue mask.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" he asked. There was no answer. Nazca was already gone. Zuko walked over to his bed and sat down staring at the mask. How could this kid know so much? How could he trust him? He couldn't he realized he would just have to go find out for himself. He sat there staring for a couple moments then he took a deep breath, and he put the mask on.

Mission accomplished Nazca thought to himself he then began his journey to the northern water tribe.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five The Waterbending master

"Aaahhhhhh!" she screamed. She was giving birth. And it hurt. A lot. Her husband sat in the nearby room not ready to watch the ordeal. Her house maid was helping her as she was prepared in handling these scenarios.

"Push!" she said, "Push!"

"It's coming!" she said getting excited. Slowly a head began to peak out. She continued pushing until the entire baby was out.

"It's a girl," the maid said quietly. The mother smiled and then something startled her.

"There is another," she said straining.

"When the second baby came out the maid took her and then set her next to the girl.

"It's a boy, twins."

They were both born silent, as if they were asleep. The maid looked at the two silent children wondering what was wrong with them. Then the boy opened his eyes and the world changed forever.

The maid was running. She had to escape she had to make sure that this child grew up in the southern water tribe. Not here where he would become the prince. No that was not his destiny, his destiny required freedom, no responsibilities, just a life to lead.

She knew all this because the ocean told her. When she was younger she had journeyed to the sacred place in the northern water tribe. The ocean told her that when the twin born with glowing eyes was born she would have to save it by taking it to the ocean. She would then be a fugitive she was told and she would have to travel to the southern water tribe and raise the child there. She was told that the moon would protect the other twin and that it was her job to protect this one for if this child died the fate of the world would be lost forever.

She was heading to her boat. Her husband had prepared a small canoe for when this situation arrived. She had already told her husband what she was going to do and he got everything ready and on the boat. He didn't really know why these things were happening but he loved his wife enough to do almost anything for her. She was being chased by expert water benders. She was a water bender but she had never learned any fighting styles for it was forbidden in the North Pole. However though she lacked proper water bending power, she made up for it with the power of the ocean. The ocean spirit was water bending through her hands. As her pursuers launched various attacks at her she easily countered them. She smiled to herself, not even master Cachren could stop her while she wielded the power of the ocean. When she reached her boat she turned around and looked at the swarm of people following her, all trying to recapture this child. Why couldn't they understand that she was helping the world by doing this, she was ending the war. She used the oceans power to create a huge wall of ice blocking the hoard following her. She then turned to her husband and said, "I've got the child now let's go."

Her husband eagerly untied them and they began to set sail for the southern water tribe.

The maid smiled at the young baby boy.

"I'm sorry you will never know your true mother," she whispered, "but I will be your new mother and my husband your father." She then placed the name the ocean had chosen for him saying, "You are humanity's last hope at freedom. You are our only hope, make us proud Nazca."

Nazca was sailing through the cold waters surrounding the northern water tribe. He had never been here and he didn't know where the village was. He had been in the waters surrounding where the northern water tribe should have been for over two days and was beginning to believe that the place didn't exist. He wondered what he would say and how he would even be able to get this water bending master to actually teach him. What would he do if the man refused to teach him? He would just find one of his students and then after he mastered what the student could do he would ask him again.

Nazca was starting to wonder if he missed the village when he felt it. An entire city. A city running off water bending. As he approached it he began to wonder how he would even get in. He could knock but he doubted anyone would answer. Well it was worth the shot. When he finally reached the gate he yelled for someone to hear him but as he expected no one did. He sighed to himself. He would have to get in the hard way. He had been practicing his water bending on the trip here and he now wanted to put his skills to the test. Time to make a wave.

He slowly pushed and pulled the water building a wave which his boat sat on top of. As he neared the top of the wall some of the guards saw the giant wave forming and stared at it amazed at the power of this child. Nazca continued building it up until he had more than cleared the walls. Now came the hard part. Now he had to get over the wall and not crash into the ice buildings surrounding him. He released the wave and began to steer himself towards the canal. He narrowly missed a couple buildings but he eventually made it to the river. He sighed relieved that he had done it but then he felt another ship heading towards him at a gentle pace. He however was being carried forward by his momentum and a collision was imminent. He quickly stood up ready to water bend the water so that the situation ended happily. The driver of the other boat, a water bender had noticed Nazca at the last second and had tried to turn so that he would dodge him. He didn't. Nazca's boat glance the other boat and sent it tipping spilling both the passengers. The water bender easily brought himself above the surface but the girl inside the boat had been thrown with such force that she hit her head on the walls of the canal knocking her out. Sensing this Nazca quickly jumped off his boat and used water bending to propel himself towards her. He quickly reached her and tried to pull her up but they where to far under and he was carrying too much weight. He struggled with her trying to save her but he was quickly losing oxygen a time. He slowly became too weak and slowly sank to the bottom. Right as he hit the bottom and he was about to pass out he felt something. Something he had once knew but had long forgotten. An ancient power resided inside him, never touched, but now he found it. A sudden burst of energy flew through him and he opened his eyes ready to fight. He used all of his strength to propel him. He flew straight up faster than he had ever even moved. He burst out of the water and went flying ten feet in the air. He used the water that he had brought up with him to guide himself and the girl to the shore. When he reached the shore he laid the girl down and then passed out lying next to her.

Nazca awoke in a very soft bed. He had no idea where he was. He reached his mind out in search of anyone else nearby. He found someone. The girl he had saved earlier that day was lying in the bed next to him. He studied her closely and noticed that she was awake and staring at him.

"Why are you staring at me?" He felt her jump at the sudden outburst of noise from the figure next to her.

"I wasn't staring," she said stumbling. Nazca smiled.

"So what where you looking at that made it appear as if you were staring at me."

She sighed confused, "how can you see me, your eyes are closed."

"Come over here and I'll show you."

She shifted her weight and stood up walking over to him. She gasped when she saw his eyes.

"You're blind."

"It happened not too long ago. An archer grazed me while I was walking away after I infiltrated a fire nation camp. Now my corneas are completely severed and I can't see with my eyes so I instead see with water bending."

"How?"

"I sense the water particles in the air moving around different objects. I also feel the blood moving through people and that helps me determine what's dead or alive."

"That is so weird," she said surprised.

Nazca shrugged, "It works and I can actually see more than the average person."

The girl sat down at the edge of her bed. "Thanks for saving my life."

"Well it's my fault that you needed life saving in the first place." He paused for a moment then said, "My name is Nazca, I'm from the southern water tribe."

"I am Yue, the northern water tribe princess," she said smiling. "Why did you come here?"

"I came looking for a water bending teacher, I'm a good fighter but I would like to excel in water bending."

"From what I heard you had an impressive display of water bending, but if you want a teacher I'm sure my parents could set you up with master Pakku after all you saved my life and they would be more than willing to repay you."

He smiled at her, "That would be helpful." Nazca then felt some one approaching, a man who appeared to be in his forties.

"Someone's coming," he told Yue.

She quickly got back into her bed and pretended to be asleep. Then the man walked in. Yue peeked through her eyelids to see the newcomer.

"Dad!" she exclaimed.

"Hello Yue, how do you feel?"

"Good," she said, then she introduced them saying, "Nazca this is my dad, dad this is Nazca, the boy who saved my life."

"It's an honor to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine. I am very thankful for what you did back there. She would have surely drowned."

Nazca sighed, how come these people didn't get it, "I should be apologizing, and I shouldn't be praised. The only reason that your daughter needed help in the first place was because my boat crashed into hers."

"I know that but you acted quicker than anyone else nearby at the time. You could have stared like the man I hired to cart her around or you could have easily ran away and hid. No one would be able to find you, no one saw your face and you certainly don't live here."

"I was just doing the most honorable thing, righting my wrong."

"And your wrong has been righted and you saved my daughter's life which is why I owe you my thanks."

Nazca smiled, "Who knows how we can get into such disputes over simple things like that."

Yue's dad laughed with him for a moment then asked him, "Surely you did not just come here to visit or just save my daughter's life. So I would like to help you with the reason you came here in any way as repayment."

"Well, I did come here with a reason but I know it will not be easy to accomplish," he cleared his throat and then said, "I came here to learn how to water bend."

"Well master Pakku is probably the best waterbender here."

"Really, it's that easy, just walk on down to master Pakku and start learning."

"Well you never really know with him."

"I'm sure that he would be more than willing after that impressive display of how you broke through our defenses," Yue interrupted.

"Well why don't we go ask him?" Yue's dad said.

They walked down to the training grounds where they would supposedly find him. Yue was supported by her dad because she wasn't completely recovered. As the approached Nazca felt the master meditating, performing some complex bending move. Nazca put out a hand for them to stop; he did not want to interrupt the man. In fact he could learn a lot right here.

"Why are we stopping," Yue asked.

"He's concentrating and I can learn by just watching for now, besides I don't want to interrupt."

Nazca felt the man's balance shift and he released the water. "Now we go."

He approached the man cautiously, unsure what he would be like.

"What do you want?"

Grouchy, Nazca thought, "I want to learn to water bend and I figured the best place for that would be from a master."

"So that's what you thought huh. Well unfortunately for you I'm not going to teach you."

"Pakku," Yue's dad began, "he saved my daughter's life using water bending surly there is something you can teach him."

"I would teach him but he has never had a previous teacher, I would have to start from square one."

"C'mon Pakku. He saved my kid's life."

Pakku sighed, "Fine. What do you want to know."

"To fight."

He sighed angrily then said, "Of course you want to know how to fight, no technique no practice just want to fight. Well kid today is your lucky day if you want to learn to fight so badly than watch closely." He turned to Yue's dad, "You might want to back up."

Yue's dad sighed but then backed up. Pakku then turned to Nazca and smiled. He then got into a fighting stance.

The first move was a direct blast of water. Wanting to get wet so he could sense himself better he let it hit him but froze his feet to the ground and slowed the force of the water. It was refreshing but very cold. The next move was a whip of water. Nazca waited for it to near him and then dispersed it into the air. Pakku who was frustrated at this kid let out a storm of different attacks all which Nazca would stop before they could do any damage. As Pakku sent another wave at him Nazca braced himself and got ready to attack. As the water was about to hit him he diverged it into two different streams but instead of releasing it he grabbed and began to build. He used the whip technique that Pakku had used earlier except this time instead of one whip he made eight. He used two of his whips to counter, four of them to attack and the last two as a last defense. He released a flurry attacks at Pakku and they continued exchanging blows while they both slowly tired. The continued fighting, neither of them to be at an advantage, for over two hours and by that time a large crowd had gathered and they were both very tired. Nazca had tried every single move that Pakku used on him until he perfected them all and there were only old moves being used. Suddenly Pakku used all of his strength to release a continuously flowing blast of water, sensing this Nazca reacted with the same move until they were both standing there with blasts of water contacting at the point directly between them. Nazca began to slip and froze himself in keeping a solid base. They continued this attack for over three hours. By the time the three hours had passed Nazca was extremely weak. He slowly slipped his grip on the ground faltering and then finally completely collapsed. He landed on the ground and the water between them collapsed for Pakku had collapsed, exhausted at the same time as Nazca. They lay there panting staring at each other until Master Pakku said, "I think your training is complete."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six Yue

He awoke in a warm bed with Yue once again staring at him. He turned to her and said, "Why whenever I wake up here I'm in a warm bed with a beautiful girl staring at me?"

She blushed then said, "That was quite an impressive display of water bending. Master Pakku and you are pretty much on the same level of experience."

"No, actually he knows all of the moves I just feel them develop and they are easy to counter and mimic."

They sat there staring at each other until Nazca said, "So, what do you guys have in store for me today?"

"Master Pakku wants to see how much water bending you actually know so that he can teach you everything else, and I wanted to introduce you to my mother. Other than that you're completely free to do whatever you want."

"So let's go check out what Master Pakku has to say."

He got up and then got dressed and then began to follow her to the training grounds.

"So I was thinking that maybe after I do whatever I have to do here you and I could go grab lunch."

She smiled at him then said, "I know just the place."

He feigned relief then said, "Good because I have no idea where we would go, if it was up to me we would eat out the garbage because I at least know where that is."

She laughed and they continued walking. They soon reached the training grounds, Master Pakku was waiting for him.

"That was impressive yesterday. I would like to know all that you are capable of so that I can try to teach you everything I know."

"I know everything that you performed yesterday, I am a quick learner."

"What amazes me is that you can learn so quickly, please tell me what you do if anything to advance so quickly."

"Well I am blind."

Pakku stared at him confused, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"I can't see," Nazca said waving a hand in front of his face, "not the way you see at least."

"Then how do you see?"

"With waterbending, I see the water particles in the air and I can see and sense more than even you."

"That's amazing, well then that should make training easier. Let's begin shall we."

Master Pakku showed Nazca a series of complex moves and he gave him names for some he had learned. They spent an hour training Nazca learned many moves and then moved on to dueling Master Pakku's other students, beating all of them in an avalanche. Sex Literally, he made an avalanche. At the end of the day Pakku congratulated him on his performance and then told him he expected to see him tomorrow to try some more complex moves. Nazca walked over to Yue who had watched the whole thing and said, "So about that lunch. I'm starving."

She stood up and led the way.

"I have got to say, I have never seen a more impressive display of waterbending. You might almost be better than Master Pakku."

"Thanks but the man does know a lot more than I will ever know. He can remember moves a whole lot better than I can."

"You're still amazing."

"Thanks. So where are we going."

"Well first were going to eat at my place. The chef is amazing. Then I want to take you to a special place."

"Where?"

"It's a surprise."

They continued walking until they reached the palace. They walked inside and Yue ordered tea for the both of them. Yue told Nazca about her life as a princess and what she had to do and the entirety of the goings that she knew about. The current status of the war, the money it cost and all sorts of politics that she grew up through. She ended by saying, "Tell me something about yourself."

"I was raised by my parents until I was six and then they died during a fire nation raid. I grew up with some friends of my parents until another raid not so long ago when my new mother died. I left there seeking revenge for all those whose lives have been ruined by this war. I searched for different people to train me and I became skilled with the sword. I decided I wanted to master waterbending and I came here. During my stay I nearly killed a beautiful girl, tied in a waterbending duel against a master, and then went on a date with the girl I almost killed."

Yue smiled at him and then finished her tea and then said, "C'mon it's time I showed you the place I was talking about."

She led him through the palace until they reached a door. "This is the most sacred place in the northern water tribe. When I was born my eyes where closed as if I was asleep. All of our healers believed I was going to die. My parents took me here and laid me in the water. They begged the spirits to save me. That night my hair turned white and I began to cry. My parents named me Yue after the moon spirit who saved me."

She then turned and opened the door. Nazca felt the two spirits immediately. They were the sources of power in the pond, circling one another endlessly. He reached out his mind to find out what exactly the shape of the moon and ocean was and was surprised when he found two fish in the pond. Fish. The ocean and the moon spirits were fish.

He then reached out to discover the rest of the room and was surprised by the beauty he found. Even though he couldn't see color he could sense the lush grass.

"This place is amazing. Its so, alive."

They stood there admire ring everything for a moment. While they were standing Yue slipped her hand into Nazca's. Nazca turned to her and smiled. They leaned forward approaching each other slowly and kissed. Then it happened. There was a flash of light and then the water in the pond began to bubble. They stopped kissing abruptly and stared at the water. Yue took a step back pulling Nazca with her.

"C'mon we should go, boiling water is never a good thing."

"It's not boiling, just bubbling." Nazca felt the energy beneath the water being released and a form taking place.

"The spirits are trying to talk to us."

Slowly two shapes began to rise out of the pond. They were both girls. One was blond and the other had black hair. As they rose Nazca felt an ancient source of power form. He felt one of the spirits approach him and the other following her. The black haired one took Nazca to one side of the pond and the blonde girl took Yue to the other.

"What I am about to tell you is for your ears alone and you will share this knowledge with no one, understand?"

"Yes."

"I am the ocean spirit, the other is the moon spirit. We are the two fundamental spirits to waterbending. We have helped you and your sister and therefore you are in our debt. Your sister's debt will be repaid shortly as for yours will come in due time."

"Wait what do you mean you helped me and my sister. I don't have a sister unless you mean Katara."

The spirit sighed, "You are Yue's twin brother. You where kidnapped by my will so that you would live to save our world. Avatar Aang is not our only hope to restore balance, we still have you and you may not realize it at the moment but you possess great power."

"I don't understand."

"Let me show you."

The spirit reached forward and laid a hand on Nazca then all of the sudden there was a blinding light and Nazca awoke.

He could see.

That was the first thing he realized. He then realized he wasn't at the North Pole. There was an elderly man standing in front of him.

"Where am I?"

"You are in the spirit world."

"Who am I?"

"You are Nazca born of the northern water tribe, raised in the southern water tribe."

"But what am I"

The old man smiled, "You are humanity's last true hope."

"I still don't understand."

"My time here grows short. I will tell you something and then I will release you to your world. The information I tell may not be understood by you at the moment but you will realize the truth, you will do this because the world needs you to." Then he began, "In the beginning there were four and the four lived peacefully each guarding their own element. One of wind, one of fire, one of water, and one of earth. But then they wanted a leader, one to rule and guide them all. That was the day the Avatar was made. He governed all four of the elements and mastered them all and for many years they lived in peace while the Avatar guided their actions. Then the Avatar died and there was chaos. The four elements remembered how good the Avatar was and they recreated him, having a new avatar reincarnate after the previous' avatars death until the end of time. A long time passed and man was at war once again. Then the avatar vanished. The spirits believed all was lost and decided to create a new avatar and so we blessed a man with our gifts." He finished.

"It was good to see you Nazca, I grant you good luck but now we must both be on our way."

There was a flash and suddenly Nazca found himself on the ground of the oasis at the North Pole with Yue standing next to him.

"That was odd," He said, "So we're twins huh."

She nodded blushing slightly.

"About that awkward feeling I'm getting from the kiss we just had, think of it as a complement. You are beautiful.

She smiled, "And so are you."

"Now, you wanted me to meet your mom, I mean our mom."

"This is going to be weird."

They began to walk to where Nazca was going to be introduced.

"So what are we going to say?"

"Oh hi Yue's mom, I just wanted to let you know that you're actually my mom too and the ocean spirit kidnapped me from you when I was an infant."

Yue smiled, "This is going to be great."

They turned the corner and saw Yue's mom sitting there waiting for them.

"There you are Yue," she said, "I was beginning to get worried that you forgot,"

"Yeah we got a little side tracked," Nazca said.

"Well mom, this is Nazca, who saved my life, and Nazca this is mom."

"It's an honor to finally meet you."

"I owe you a lot for saving my daughter's life."

"Uh mom," Yue began, "While we were heading up here I took Nazca to the oasis and we kind of found out some surprising information."

"Oh really, what is it?"

Yue looked at Nazca nervously, "You want to tell her?"

Nazca smiled, "Well it turns out that Yue and I are actually twins and you're my mom."

Their mom looked surprised then whispered, "I thought you had died. I knew there was a reason you looked so much like my husband."

She stood up and walked over to Nazca and hugged him.

She told her servant,"Ready the chef we will have a feast in honor of my son's return home."

"Actually that won't be necessary. The ocean spirit told me something and I have to try to figure out what it means. I will leave tonight to try to search the meaning of my destiny."

Yue stared at him dumbfounded, "What?! But you like just got here. I just found my long lost brother and now you want to leave! I thought you would stay and we would be friends!" she said starting to cry.

Nazca walked over and held her he looked up at his mom and said, "If you don't mind, I would like to talk to my sister alone." he said.

"Of course not," she got up and ushered the servants out of the room and then followed suit.

"My parents died when I was six years old due to a fire nation raid," he began, "I was adopted by the parents of some friends that I used to play with, I lived with them for a while until one day there was another fire nation raid where they killed my new mother. I was furious at the fire nation so I decided I would go to war with them. I was too young to fight with the men so I ran away to train myself elsewhere. I trained myself under the Kyoshi warriors until I reached a mastery level called assassin. They decided to put my skills to the test and I wiped out an entire fire nation camp undetected. While the Kyoshi warriors where checking my handiwork an archer that was hiding in the trees saw us and shot at us. An arrow hit me and broke through the bridge of my nose, slicing my corneas. I became blind. I learned how to see with waterbending and I became an even more skilled fighter than I already was. I came here to master waterbending and I accomplished that so now I must leave and fight the fire nation. I have given up three families so that I might defeat the fire nation. I have given the love in my life and my family so that we might defeat them. Yue, we all have to give up our personal desires so that our children do not live up in a land under oppression of the fire nation. I am asking you Yue to give up the things that you want most so that we can end this war. The only way we can win is if we all make sacrifices and it starts with us."

He sat there holding her for a couple of minutes until Yue said, "Okay, but I want you to promise me that you won't get yourself killed, that when this war is over you'll come back here and be my brother and we'll grow up together okay."

"I promise," Nazca said smiling, "It's time for me to go, tell mom and dad I love them will you."

He got up and walked a couple of feet in front of her. He then began waterbending the ground beneath him.

"Nazca," Yue said.

"Yes,"

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Then with a sudden sweep of his arms the ice beneath Nazca turned to water and he fell through. He was gone. His stay at the North Pole was up, it was time to figure out what the man meant by what he said.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven The Earthbender

It was cold. He had been swimming for almost two days. When he left the northern water tribe he began swimming south, using his waterbending to heat the water around him and to propel himself through the water. He was resting on a chunk of ice he had frozen. He had dried himself easily but it was slightly cold this close to the North Pole he hoped it would be warmer tomorrow but he couldn't be certain. It would be a while before he reached some sort of land he would just have to keep moving.

He lay on the ice shivering thinking about Yue and the North Pole. He thought about the strange man's words and what they meant. He thought about his life and how many people had given up their lives to try to stop the fire nation. It seemed unstoppable, too powerful for any civilization to even make a dent into its thick hide of armor. He thought about what he was going to do. He had a plan to decipher the meaning of the old man's words but what was he going to do, sit around and wait for it to come to him? He would have to try to see someone who might know what he was talking about. Surly someone must understand the man's words. They couldn't be meaningless to everyone. As he thought about the forthcoming events exhaustion overcame him and he slowly drifted off to sleep.

He awoke the next morning and immediately started swimming. He was tired and hungry but he knew that the only way that he would be fed would be if he could reach a town or somewhere with a population of any animal or specimen that he could eat. He swam for four hours before he spotted land. He heaved a sigh of relief and headed to the peninsula that was jutting out towards him. When he reached the land mass he still had to climb the cliff that separated him from the lush landscape ahead.

He began to scale it but was too tired and fell back to the water below. He lay floating on his back for a couple of minutes before he tried again to no avail reaching the same out come as the previous attempt. He realized that the cliff was too sheer and he was too tired to climb it using ordinary means. He smiled to himself; he didn't just have ordinary means though did he? He froze a chunk of ice under him so that he was on a floating platform. He then slowly began to bend the water so that it was lifting him and his sheet of ice up along the side of the cliff. As he got higher the column of water supporting him began to become increasingly difficult to hold. He began to slip but held himself steady knowing that it would not be a nice landing if he fell from this height. As he began to reach the summit the water became almost impossible to hold and at the last second he reached into the reserves of his energy to throw himself upon the cliff. He lay there panting and then passed out.

He awoke the next morning well rested but hungry. He scoured the grounds looking for some type of animal. He found a couple of small rodents and then a larger one a little bit away. He decided this would be his prey. He used his knife to make a spear and then sent out to catch his prey. He moved silently through the bushes keeping his mind focused on the animal. As he approached he felt the beat of its heart and the blood moving through his body as it went about mindlessly eating in order to keep itself alive. He slowly approached it and raised his spear. The animal stopped, aware of some danger nearby. Nazca froze on the spot. The animal sniffed for a few moments then, sure it was safe began eating once again. Nazca tensed raised his spear and then stabbed. The weapon found its mark. Nazca watched horrified as the animal struggled as it took its last breaths. He felt the heart slowly dying; he imagined the pain that the creature must be feeling as it realized this was its last day to walk this earth. Slowly the blood stopped pumping until the animal was completely dead. Nazca sat there disgusted at what he had done. He had never killed being able to feel the blood and it was repulsive watching the animals blood come to a halt. He sat there for a moment wondering what to do with the animal. He was equally disgusted with this foul act as he was hungry and eventually he knew that no matter how disgusting this was he still needed to eat in order to live. He cleaned the animal and having no way to cook it ate it raw. It was no luxury and he decided the next time he ate it would definitely be cooked. Upon finishing the creature and scraping each bone for any meat and he then got ready to journey in search of civilization.

He walked for a couple of hours until he encountered a small farm with a man and his wife working there. He sat outside observing there motions wondering what division of the world he was in. With no clues available hunger took over and he emerged from his hiding spot. The man spotted him first.

"Well hello traveler, what can I do you for today?"

"Well I was venturing through these parts and I wasn't sure if it was safe for me to be here because I couldn't find any landmark that would inform me whose territory I am in?"

"Well you're in my territory but I assume that you want to know whether or not you're in the fire nation and the answer to that is no. This here is the earth kingdom."

"Do you know where I could buy supplies?"

"There a large village about a day's walk south of here and you could pretty much buy anything there but by the looks of it you don't look like you could buy any supplies let alone walk for a day."

"I'll do what I must."

The man stared at him for a moment then said, "Tell you what. You look strong enough to work for me. Working with just me and Kasinna ain't exactly a breeze. I'll offer you food, money, and a place to rest in exchange for your labor."

"Deal."

For the next week Nazca worked on the farm with Hardak and Kasinna, planting crops and tending the beasts. The food was good and he made some money every day. After the week was done he started packing up his belongings, a change of close that the farmers had given him and a bag to carry his supplies. He thanked them for their kindness and then began on his journey to civilization. He hadn't done a minute of honest work in his life, aside from helping back at Katara's mom and dad's place. It felt good to put his body to work in way that didn't involve murder.

That night he reached the village that was more of a city. He set up the tent that he had brought from the North Pole and fell asleep.

The next morning he awoke early and headed down into the village. He observed different markets of trade and different aromas that al where pleasing to his senses. He went in search of cheap food and a place to work. He bought the bare minimum knowing that he needed a sword if he was to continue on his mission. After buying supplies and finding nowhere to walk, Nazca decided to search the outskirts of the village for some farm work. When he reached the edge he followed a path hoping that it would lead to somewhere. All of the sudden he felt something, a distant quaking of the earth. So minute and insignificant he would have not noticed it if he didn't feel the vibrations of the water particles a short distance away. He headed towards the direction of what he believed to be the epicenter intrigued believing he would actually get to meet an Earthbender. As he walked he began to feel more quaking as he neared the source of the commotion. He reached out with his mind and found the Earthbender. It was too far to determine any details of this bender but at least he knew where he was. As he got the closer the earthbending suddenly stopped. He felt the bender walking away from the site hurriedly then as he was about to turn the corner that separated them she stopped and began walking. As the bender turned the corner he realized that it was a girl, a rather pretty girl at that.

"Hey," he said.

"What do you want?"

"I just wanted to see your earthbending, you are the Earthbender right?"

She stared at him as is she was appalled, "How could you even suggest that."

"Umm," he said not wanting to reveal his blindness, "I felt some one earthbending and you are the only one here."

"Well smarty pants, I also felt someone earthbending and I also came to investigate but whoever was here must have run away for some reason."

He shook his head, "My name is Nazca, how about you?"

The girl paused for a moment like she was about to reveal very personal information,

"My name is Toph Bei Fong." she said with a smirk.

"So Toph, let me get this straight. I felt an earthbender and you felt an earthbender. Then you where ahead of me so you reached here first and somehow when you attempted to spy on an earthbender who was probably deep in concentration he saw you before you saw him."

Toph stared at him, "Do you live under a rock or something? I say that I am Toph Bei Fong, BEI FONG and you still go on like nothing has even happened, like I didn't just reveal that one of the richest families in the earth kingdom has a secret daughter that is sanding right in front of you!"

"I just want to know who was earthbending," Nazca shrugged.

"I WAS EARTHBENDING!" she screamed.

"See I knew it."

She stared at him fuming, her chest heaving.

"Jeez there's no need to get so angry with someone out of town."

"Oh really and how far 'out of town' do you have to be not to know of the Bei Fong family."

"Oh let's say the South Pole maybe."

She stared at him puzzled, "You're from the southern water tribe?"

Nazca nodded saying, "Yep."

"What are you doing in the earth kingdom?"

"What all of the men from the southern water tribe are doing, going to war."

She stood there staring at him, "Are you a waterbender?"

"Yep."

"So why did you want to meet an earthbender?"

"Well I've never met one before and I just wanted to see what they are capable of so that I could learn there fighting style and learn how to fight one if the time ever comes where I need to know how to beat one in combat."

All of the sudden Nazca felt a group of people moving their way, riding on some sort of lizard. They were moving rapidly as if on some mission. As they approached Nazca realized that they were carrying a strange assortment of objects such as jewelry and dining utensils.

As they rounded the corner Nazca asked Toph, "Who are they?"

"They're raiders. They steal anything they can get their hands on. I had a run in with them before; hopefully they remember what happened the last time they tried fooling around with me."

"Well let's just hope they pass us. I really don't want to get in a fight right now."

"What are you scared?" Toph said smiling.

Nazca just shook his head. The thieves continued moving along the path towards them. When one of them saw Nazca and Toph he yelled something to the others and they laughed and began to slow down. As they approached Nazca was able to make out the group better. There where at least twenty of them, four of them being women. They came to a complete stop and then the lead man yelled, "Hey there sweetheart how you doing?"

Toph glared at him, "Don't you remember what happened the last time you want to pick on the poor helpless blind girl?"

The thieves laughed but Nazca stared at her, "Your blind?" he whispered.

She nodded.

"Actually sweetheart," the lead man said, "We do remember."

Then suddenly four metal chains shot out at Toph, catching her hands and feet. They pulled her back towards the caravan and dragged her aboard, then tossed her in a metal box.

Nazca upon seeing this immediately into a fighting stance and welcomed the inevitable.

"C'mon," one of the thieves said, "She caught us by surprise last time, save yourself the trouble of a beating and surrender. There are twenty of us and one of you."

Nazca laughed, "Bring it on."

Six men jumped towards him and drew their swords. Nazca mimicked them pulling out his knife.

"You think you can beat us with that!?"

Nazca nodded smiling. The men began to circle him and Nazca let them. One man positioned himself directly behind Nazca believing he didn't stand a chance. The man raised the butt of his sword and struck down at Nazca's head. Nazca felt the blow coming and deflected it then returned the blow knocking the man unconscious.

"You're gonna have to do more than maim me to stop me from fighting," Nazca said with a smile.

The men stared at him with surprise as five more joined the fight. They circled him once again and then all struck in unison. Nazca ducked and rolled away cutting on man in the hamstring causing him to collapse in pain. Two men nearest to him charged at him swinging. Nazca easily blocked their blows kneeing them both in the groin as he did. He then continued on to take out the remaining seven men, maiming all of them. He faced the caravan that now consisted of six men and four girls.

"Surrender the girl to me."

"No!" one of the men said.

"Wrong answer."

Nazca took a deep stance and then began reaching his mind to its limits, finding any drop of water in the area. He soaked up small streams and ponds raising them up. Then once he believed he had enough water he brought it all into a giant ball in front of him.

"A waterbender," one of the girls whispered. Then upon further inspection of Nazca she said, "And he's also blind."

"NOW, SURRENDER," Nazca boomed.

The remaining men, sensing defeat, laid down their weapons and released Toph. Nazca searched the bodies and picked up his favorite sword then turned to the thieves and said, "Now if I hear that you guys even lay down a foot in this village I won't be so kind the next time we meet. Now gather your wounded and be gone."

They did as they were told and left.

"So," Toph said, "you're a blind waterbender and I'm a blind earthbender, makes a good team don't you agree."

Nazca smiled then said, "How do you see seeing that your blind?"

"I sense the vibrations in the earth using my feet, the question is how do you see?"

"Well it isn't as easy of an explanation. You see there are water particles in the air that I can sense and I can also sense when an object or body breaks through them separating them. I also can sense blood because it has a basic liquidness to it."

Then all the sudden Nazca realized that his hand had been cut somehow.

"Ouch," he said.

"What?"

"I seem to have gotten cut, here I'm gonna go rise it off so that it doesn't get infected."

He brought some water over that he had gathered and then separated all of the dirt particles from it, then sensing it was clean brought it over and washed his hands. When he had finished he realized that he was no longer cut. He frowned confused. He took his knife and cut himself again then washed his hands in the water again. He watched as his blood flow slowed down and how his hand sealed itself together healing himself. He gasped amazed.

"What is it," Toph asked.

"I can heal."


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight Blood and the moon

He and Toph were walking to Toph's place. Nazca was still fascinated at his ability to heal and was in a half daze as he walked. He was tired from the fight earlier and Toph agreed to let him rest at her place as long as he made sure nobody saw him while he was there.

"Nobody except my parents and servants know that I exist and none of them know skilled of an earthbender I actually am. They know that I'm an earthbender but I've never shown them my actual level of skill. According to Master Yu I'm still a beginner with a minimal level of competence," She said laughing to herself.

"So let me get this straight," Nazca began, "You want to sneak me into your room because you don't want anyone to know that you escaped from your place right."

"Right."

They continued walking until they reached the gate that separated them from Toph's place. She paused for a moment making sure that no one was on the other side then lifted the slab of rock that they were standing on up and over the wall. They quickly scurried to the side of the building where Toph paused for a second then lifted the ground that they were standing on up to her bedroom window where they got off and Toph released the rock back to the ground.

"So this is your room," Nazca said, scanning it. It was rather empty, just a bed and a dresser.

"Yep. My parents think that if they put too much stuff in here I'll trip over it and get hurt. The bed is really comfy though," She said smiling.

Nazca walked over and laid on it, "Your right this is really comfy."

She came over and laid down next to him. Nazca yawned saying, "I have not slept on a bed in a really long time."

Toph snorted and they both then quietly drifted off to sleep

Nazca woke up immediately after hearing the first knock on the door.

"Toph! Are you in there sweetie," a woman's voice yelled from the other side of the door.

Nazca sat there confused until he realized where he was. He jumped out of the bed and stumbled through the room. He tripped over his own feet and collided with the dresser. Pain immediately shot through Nazca's head as he began to lose consciousness.

He heard someone shove the door open yelling, "Toph! Are you okay, what happened."

He felt the woman run into the room and turn towards the dresser. She stopped confused, turned saw Toph sitting in her bed, turned back, facing Nazca and said, "Who the #$% are you."

Then Nazca passed out.

He awoke on a cold rock floor. He expanded his mind and found that he was still laying on the ground in Toph's room next to the dresser. He felt his head and was surprised to find it wet with what he realized was blood. He gathered some water from the ground outside and easily healed his head. He then reached his consciousness outward in search of Toph or really anyone. He found a semi large group of people gathered a short distance. He reached his mind out and found one of the people to be Toph who was being held by the girl who had burst into the room earlier who Nazca assumed to be her mother. There was a man standing next to Toph presumable her father. There was a small group of four people whom Nazca guessed where servants based on how they where identically dressed. There was an older man whom Nazca was not familiar with and two other men dressed in the same manner who appeared to be some sort of police force based on the strength that they carried with them.

Nazca got up and walked down stairs. He silently approached the room that the group was in. He got as close as he dared and began to listen in on the conversation.

"Relax ma'am," Nazca heard one of the police like men was saying, "He's probable still unconscious. We'll just head on up there and bind him while he's down and we'll figure out what's wrong with pervert." He then turned to Toph, "Are you sure that there is nothing that you can remember about this guy?"

"No. It's like I said I went to take a nap and then I woke up with my mom freaking out that someone was in my room. I mean he wasn't in my bed before I went to sleep, I always check to make sure I'm not about to lie on anything painful."

"Whatever," the man said, then he turned his attention to the other police like man and said, "C'mon let's go grab this nutcase."

They turned to the hallway where Nazca was hiding. Nazca quickly began to try to figure out an alibi to why he was Toph's room. He was too confused that he just gave up and decided he'd just make it up as he went along. Just as the two men were about to round the corner Nazca stepped out. The men stared at him, surprised then did what they were originally going to do, attack.

They were both earthbenders and the first thing they did was attempt to seal his feet to the ground with the rock he was standing on. Nazca felt the vibrations and jumped lunging out with his foot at the nearest man, hitting him square in the chest causing the man to fall over in pain. The second man Nazca dispatched by striking him in the head with a powerful kick. The two guards collapsed in a lump as Nazca stepped over them, brushing himself off.

"Well howdy there," Nazca said.

The four remaining people stared at him open-mouthed. The one old man stepped in front of the rest of them saying, "Now listen here kid, I am a master earthbender. I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to."

Nazca thought about this for a moment then said, "Well what do you want me to do 'surrender peacefully' that doesn't exactly seem like the best move for me."

The old man stared at Nazca thinking about his words. He opened his mouth like he was going to say something but then closed it.

Nazca then said, "So here's what we're going to do. We're going to sit down enjoy a nice cup of tea and discuss our dispute and see what we can do to settle it."

Nazca pulled a chair out from the far side of the table and sat down directly opposite of them. He sat there for a moment then said, "The tea?"

The man who appeared to be Toph's dad called for a servant then whispered something to him. The servant left then returned a couple moments later with a pitcher of hot tea. He poured them all a cup then left. Nazca took a sip from his tea then said, "So what's seems to be the problem here?"

The man that appeared to be Toph's dad said, "We found you laying in our daughter's bed like a nauseating pervert."

"Now is that any way to treat an honored guest," Nazca said, "A proper talk should have a proper introduction, let me demonstrate," he cleared his throat then said, "Hello my name is Nazca, born of the northern water tribe and raised of the southern water tribe. I am a nomad and an enemy of the fire nation doing what I can to end this war."

They stared at him for a moment then the man said, "I am Lao Bei Fong, this is my wife and my daughter Toph. This is my daughter's earthbending instructor Master Yu," he said gesturing first to the woman then to Toph and finally to the elderly earth bending master.

"Now," Nazca said, "State your problem."

"We don't like the fact that we found you in the same bed as my daughter," Lao said.

"Well when I have to sleep I go where I must. Rock is extremely uncomfortable so when I find a bed I tend to use it, even if it is already occupied."

"That's very impolite."

"Thank you for pointing that out oh wise one."

Lao stared angrily at Nazca then said, "Here's the problem, you trespassed into our property then violated my daughter's privacy and I believed such crimes should be met with punishment."

"And what punishment do you deem appropriate for such claims. Oh wait I know how about silence."

"Silence?" Master Yu questioned.

"Yes silence, if you let me go I have to be silent about the fact that the legendary Bei Fong's have a daughter, a weak blind daughter," Nazca sneered.

"Are you threatening me?" Lao demanded.

"Yes."

They sat there staring angrily at each other. Lao seemed to be weighing his options then said, "No deal, Master Yu imprison this criminal."

"As you wish sir," Yu said.

Yu took a deep stance then raised a chunk of rock and punched it forward, sending it flying at Nazca. Nazca smiled, this was what he had been waiting for. He sat there calmly feeling it move towards him then flicked his hand in the general direction of it. The rock instantly exploded. The four of the others stared at him.

"Water expands as it freezes didn't you know."

Master Yu stared then said, "A waterbender."

He began to raise his arms to send a torrent of missiles at him, but Nazca acted faster. It wasn't exactly the best time to try something new but he had always wanted to do it since he realized he could feel the blood pumping through human's veins so he tried it. He tried to bend the man's blood. He reached forward with his mind and grabbed at the man. He felt the blood but he was having difficulty grasping. He felt the man raising a rock and he scrambled faster now having no other option. Yu raised the rock ready to strike Nazca but suddenly, Nazca felt a sudden increase of power, disturbed where it came from he reached out with his mind and realized from the intense spiritual feeling that he had, that the moon was full. He grabbed Yu with this new power causing him to keel over gasping.

"What is it Yu?' Lao asked.

"I don't know?" Yu said confused.

"I can bend blood," Nazca whispered, amazed.

"WHAT?" Lao stormed.

Nazca released Yu, "Because your daughter has done no wrong I shall keep her existence a secret but you still will pay for interrupting my quest to fight the fire nation," he then turned and left.

Four weeks later Toph felt him sitting on her windowsill again.

"So how's it going?" She asked.

"Fine," Nazca said. He stared out at the sun for a short period of time feeling the rays shine upon his face. He then took a deep breath turning to her and said, "I thought that today we could go out to this new restaurant that I had found."

She smiled at him then said, "Sure, but no lollygagging my parents freaked out when we were out real late and they couldn't find me."

"Good," Nazca said, "Get dressed and then will leave."

She threw on the dress her parents had selected for her. It was their seventh date together and her parents still didn't know. She then walked over and said, "Well move over so I can earthbend our way out of here."

"No earthbending today. Instead we're going ride an ice slide. C'mon.' He said pulling her out the window.

She yelped sure she would fall and break something but instead she encountered a cold surface under her. Before she could get used to it she began sliding down. She slid for a couple of seconds having no idea where she was then felt solid ground under her feet again. She felt the vibrations in the earth and realized she was outside her house's gate with Nazca standing next to her.

"No more ice slides," She said.

Nazca smiled and released the ice letting it unfreeze and splash to the ground.

"C'mon let's go."

He took her through the streets until they reached it. They both ordered noodles and talked as they ate. Toph talked the most telling Nazca about how her parents were so annoying, not letting her do anything like she always talked about.

She sighed then said, "Tell me something about yourself, all I know is that your name is Nazca, you're a waterbender from the North Pole who was raised at the South Pole."

Nazca took a deep breath then said, "I barely remember the parents who raised me when I was an infant, they were killed by the fire nation when I was six years old. I was adopted by friends of my parent who took me with their own kids. I spent some time with them until a fire nation raid where my adoptive mother was killed. I left to try to train to fight the fire nation. I went and trained with the Kyoshi warriors where I fell in love with my mentor a girl named Suki. I loved her but defeating the fire nation came first so I left to hunt them. I returned home to check on my family but all the men where off to war and I was too scared to face my sister so I left, but not after witnessing the return of the avatar. I went to the northern water tribe to master waterbending which I did. While I was there I fell in love with a girl who I learned was my sister. I left to decipher the words of a mad man that I had a vision of and I ended up here and while I was here I fell in love with the most powerful and most beautiful earthbender alive."

Toph stared at him then leaned forward and they kissed. Nazca almost pulled away knowing he must defeat the fire nation and that no one and nothing can get in the way but instead he kissed her back. All of the sudden he realized something, "Yesterday was my birthday."

"Congratulations, happy belated birthday," Toph said with a smile, "How old are you."

"Sixteen." He said with a frown. Marrying age. Yue was going to get married and he wasn't going to be there to see it. He sighed. He could never be there for the people he loved.

That night Nazca laid in bed next to her under the full moon. He held her hand as she fell asleep. He was slowly drifting off to sleep then remembered what happened the last time he fell asleep in her room and got up. He walked over and kissed her forehead saying, "See you in the morning." She sat up facing him as he walked to the window. Then all of the sudden Nazca felt something bad happening and then he went blind.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter nine The Truth

He was blind. Well he was already blind but know he couldn't even feel anything. It was like all the water vanished but he couldn't even feel his own blood. He was truly blind. He tried to figure out what was wrong and the answer seemed to just come to him. The moon, something was wrong with it, it was in danger. Nazca collapsed, being unable to tell where anything was, he hit his head on the dresser and cried out as he felt a cut appear. He heard Toph rustling as she stood up saying, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I've lost my ability to waterbend, I think the moon is in danger."

She sat next to him petting his hair as he felt the blood trickling down his head. Her hand passed over it and she exclaimed, "Nazca your bleeding."

"I know and there's nothing I can do until I somehow regain my ability to waterbend other wise I'm as good as dead."

They lay there for a couple minutes Nazca hoping the moon would return. Then all of the sudden he gasped.

"What is it?" Toph exclaimed.

"The moon, its, its dead." Nazca felt the world's balance fall to pieces. And he was angry. How dare this foolish person believe he had the right to disrupt the balance of this world. This person would pay for his actions and he would ensure it. Anger flew threw him as the urge to destroy became undeniable.

All of the sudden he was back at the northern water tribe but now he could see. He felt the anger controlling him as he stepped into the pond. He saw that one of the fish where gone and only a black one remained in the pool.

Then he was back on Toph's floor, blind and hyperventilating.

He flashed back. He felt himself joining powers with the ocean as he and another hundred thousands of spirits join together. He felt his body moving with the ocean as they left the sacred area.

Then he was back on the hard rock floor, Toph sitting over him asking what was wrong.

And he was back in the North Pole, joined with the millions of other spirits. He felt himself rise with the ocean as he took the form of a giant Koi fish.

"Let us punish these moon slayers for what they have done."

"Yes let us." A million other voices whispered in unison.

"He felt his giant mass tacking a step forward as he welcomed this new power this new knowledge. He felt like he could do anything but that was not his job, no his job was to punish. The beast he was concealed inside began walking. As he walked he turned to the side looking down an alley. He saw two groups, one a group of waterbenders paying him homage as they should, he also saw a group of firebenders raising their arms against him. He scoffed sending a wave of water at them taking them all to the sea. He continued walking towards the harbor seeing more groups, all of the waterbenders bowing in respect and all of the firebenders thinking they could take him but instead where drowned.

As approached the harbor he saw a huge armada of fire nation ships. He sent a colossal wave at the nearest one sinking it then began pounding at the other ships with water, sinking some and pushing others back out to sea. Right when he finished destroying enough of the fleet he looked up and saw the moon, full in its self. He felt himself being deposited on a shelf of snow and then he felt himself return to Toph's floor. He gasped tired from the amount of work he had just done.

"Nazca are you alright?" he heard Toph ask.

"Yeah," he croaked, he was blind again but he could sense the particles of water. He then realized his head was still bleeding and he brought some water from the ground outside and healed it. He now felt a lot better. He now knew what he had to do, he knew what the old man's word's meant. And he was ready.

It was a sunny day and Nazca was tired. It had been a couple of day since the incident with the moon and Nazca was wondering how he was going to set this up so that he could learn without suspicion. He then realized that all he had to do was practice with Toph, watch her then try it late at night. All of the sudden he hated this world and how it had taken Katara, Suki, and Yue away from him. He wanted them back. Now. He felt himself harnessing his energy in anger and desperation.

Then he wasn't there. He was laying on the ground of a giant stadium. He looked up and saw a man dressed in a green uniform and he immediately knew that this man was responsible for his suffering. He stood up the air swirling around him, lifting him in the air. He swatted this green man away with a chunk of rock. He then turned his attention to the green man's allies, swatting them away in the same manor. Then as he reached the height of his power he felt his spirit being pulled away. He heard the old man's voice that had talked to him while he was at the North Pole.

"It's time you learned."

He felt himself being pulled along, seeing strange landscapes as the old man talked, "The avatar state is a defense mechanism designed to give the current avatar all the power of the past avatar. The glowing is the past avatar's focusing their energy through you. In this state you are at your most powerful but you are also at your most vulnerable. If you are killed while you are in the avatar state the cycle will be broken and the avatar will cease to exist."

He then felt himself returning to his body but then out of nowhere a hand seized him. He watched the one boy return to his body. Then he turned around and faced the old man who was holding him.

"We need to talk," the old man said.

"As you know you are an avatar. Like Aang, the boy you just saw and myself, Avatar Roku, the avatar before Aang, you have dominion over the four elements. Your existence could swing the fate of the war and ensure that the fire nation does not prevail. However your very existence is extremely delicate. A hundred years ago Aang vanished from the world as he had been frozen in an iceberg. We as the avatar spirits believed that the world was lost without Aang. We waited many years for him to return but he never did. Sixteen years ago we decided that we had to do something. We decided we would create a new avatar, one who was not part of the avatar cycle. We blessed you as a prince hoping that your parents could hire men to train you but destiny had different plans.. The ocean blessed you as well and you where moved to the southern water tribe and you know the rest. You are a great factor in decided the fate of the world but your existence is very fragile. The fire nation will not hesitate to kill you if they discover your true identity. Also your coexistence with Aang is destructive. You are not part of the avatar cycle but you are still an avatar and if Aang learns that I am afraid only chaos will follow." Roku began leading him back to his own body, "I don't know why but as you know whenever Aang goes into the avatar state he brings you with him and you body for some reason is left there helpless and very vulnerable this is a very big problem that we will have to solve. Also Nazca you need to know that you are going to learn fire bending next after you are done here with Toph and that the only way you can do that is if you go into the fire nation. Jeong Jeong would not be a wise teacher seeing as he already knows who the avatar is and so you will have to learn from the enemy. Good luck," Roku said, then Nazca felt his spirit return to his body. Then he passed out.

So graceful, so beautiful. He and Toph where both practicing their bending far away from civilization. Toph was in deep concentration doing what she did best. Nazca was spinning a funnel of water around him not really paying attention to it, in reality he was watching Toph and her moves. He watched that she attacked the rock with no fear. She held her ground like a rock, punching each one, determined to make it move. He paid attention to her for the rest of the time noting every move that she made. Then all of the sudden Toph turned to him and yelled, "NAZCA! YOU MIGHT WANT TO TONE IT DOWN A BIT."

Nazca stopped focusing on her and came back to himself. He realized that he had accidentally created a hurricane, or at least something along the lines of it. It was a giant spiraling funnel of water. Nazca released his hold on it and it slowly collapsed, sending water in all directions.

"That was cool," Nazca said.

"What did you do, it sounded like a hurricane?"

"Well it kind of was." He said smiling.

That night Nazca stood far away from civilization. He made sure that no one was any where nearby, then he found a decent size boulder about twice the size of him. He walked in front of it and concentrated, unsure whether or not this would work. It was what he believed the man meant, what else could he have been suggesting. Nazca took a deep breath and then punched the rock.

"AHHHHH."

His hand was cut open from the force of the blow causing it to start to bleed.

"STUPID ROCK!" he yelled kicking the rock. He expected pain to shoot up his foot seeing as he had just made another stupid choice, but instead he felt his foot collide with the rock and push the rock. He expanded his mind just in time to see the rock fly fifty feet in the air and land somewhere far away.

He was right. He felt energy flow through him as he realized he was right. He began searching through his mind to find this new element and he found it. A whole new world seemed to appear as he felt the vibrations traveling all around him as the rock that he kicked finished tumbling. Ecstatic with his discovery he began experimenting, sending rocks flying everywhere. The entire night went on as Nazca kept on trying different things, getting better as he went on until he had mimicked exactly every move Toph had accomplished.

The next morning he awoke in the pasture that he had been practicing in and sat up expecting a fight. He reached out with his mind and was able to see farther and more precise now that he was using this new ability. He got up and brushed himself off ready to go back to Toph, then he stopped. He was done here. It was time to move on. He knew that he was done learning here and that it was time he continued on his journey. He realized he needed to send a message so that the other avatar knew what he was looking for. He thought about it then realized what he needed to do. He put his palm down on the ground, concentrated for a little bit then he felt his consciousness traveling a great distance. Then he felt his eyes open and he took in his surroundings, he was in a swamp staring at a group of three kids. He recognized them immediately, Katara and Sokka being his adoptive family and the other he recognized must be Aang, his shape seeming to take the same one he had visualized when he first saw him. All of the sudden he saw vines that had been entangling the group, he saw them tighten and awaken the group right before the vines dragged them off. He saw the three kids all separated and he knew now was his time to act. He brought an image of Toph out of his mind and presented it to Aang along with a flying boar hoping to represent the Bei Fong family. He kept the image of Toph out of reach of the avatar moving her in the direction of Sokka and Katara. He then turned to his sister Katara and brought out an image of their mother and presented it to her. He saw her run over to it and stop once she realized it was a root. She was exactly where Nazca wanted her. Then he found Sokka and thought about what to present to him. Then it hit him. Sokka's memories seemed to fly through his mind as he watched him and Yue hanging out, then the siege of the northern water tribe, he saw the moon killed by some insolent firebender, then he saw Yue give her life for the moon, Yue had been given life by the moon and she had to return the favor. Nazca then began to present an image of Yue but instead realized he could do one better. He set the avatar up so that he would run right into Katara and then he pulled out of the vision. He felt his conciseness return to the spot. He then reached out with his mind as far as it would go and he began speaking.

"Hey sis, I'm sorry about what happened, I wish this war didn't exist so that we could have stayed together, but know I can't ever live up to my promise unless the ocean spirit falls into some trouble and I got to go save it with my life force," Nazca laughed to himself , tears starting to creep out of his eyes, "Anyway I was wondering if you could swing by Sokka and give him a boost of morale. Thanks. I'll miss you. Love you."

Nazca brought his mind back to immediate surroundings and began to cry. His sister was dead. He sat there crying for ten minutes just sitting there with his head in his hands. There was too much pain in this world and he just wanted to leave. This place really pissed him off there was good but it was a small speck in the darkness and Nazca didn't want to live in that world anymore. He got up and realized that he was, no matter the price, he was going to end this. And now, now it was time to learn firebending.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter ten imprisoned

Whap!

Another arrow flew by him planting itself in a nearby tree. He dipped and dove through brambles and bushes. He stumbled over a root and landed flat on his face in the dirt. He turned his attention around, facing his pursuers. There where at least twenty of them following him through the forest and he knew that there would be more following them. He groaned to himself, why did he have to be so narrow-sighted when it came to dealing with the fire nation. Right know he could probably have learned a little bit of fire bending with Kloer. But no he had to assassinate the mean bully general who mocked the southern water tribe. He got up and began sprinting again. Then all of the sudden he reached the cliff. He stopped and turned around, facing the firebenders, he waved smiling then jumped, doing a back flip off the edge of the cliff.

The firebenders stopped and stared at the insane kid who had just jumped off the side of a cliff. They then ran over to the side of the cliff and stared down. Yep, straight down fall to the bottom of the waterfall. There was no way that the kid had made it. He was gone, what a retard. Ah well, now they would have to go back to headquarters and reinstate themselves with a new general.

"Come on Xue lets head back."

"But what about the kid, shouldn't we go look for the body."

Fahn sighed sometimes Xue was hilarious, other times he was pretty stupid., "By the time we got down there the body will be halfway down the river."

"Oh yeah right."

The group of firebenders then turned around and began to head back to the camp. It took them a while to get back and the path was pretty difficult to follow, but they eventually got back to it. When they were about to reach the clearing Kloer, the kid's firebending instructor ran up to them panting.

Fahn immediately got into a fighting stance upon seeing this panting girl covered with bruises and scratches, "What happened!?" He asked alarmed, scanning the forest.

"It was Nazca," she said panting.

"Who? And what was Nazca?"

"Nazca, the boy I was training, he came and disabled the other four guards then he came to me told me he was sorry and then revealed that he was an earthbender."

"What do you mean he revealed he was an earthbender?"

"You should see for yourself," she said leading them to their camp.

When they reached the camp Fahn stopped and stared mouth dropped. The camp well wasn't really a camp anymore. In other word's Nazca had completely earthbended the camp of the face of the earth. He had come back and with an impressive display of earthbending flipped the camp so that the camp was actually upside down and five feet underground.

"Holy #$%," Fahn said exasperated, "Well it seems to me that we can leave right away and not have to worry about packing up. Well don't just stare at me let's go!"

"But Fahn what about our wounded?"

"They'll catch up, we however need to immediately report this assassin to headquarters."

They then looked around for anything that they could scavenge and seeing nothing went on their way leaving the four men laying dead in the dirt. Nazca smiled. They where oblivious.

As soon as Nazca was sure that all the guards had moved on he quickly ran out from where he was hiding and undressed. He then replaced his clothes with some from the fallen fire nation soldiers. When he finished dressing he ran trying to catch up with the crowd.

"What do you mean you 'where unable to determine his location'!? What are you a bunch of hammering drunks. How the #$% are we supposed to find him?"

Fahn cringed at the general's anger. Why did he have to be the one to take General Zoan's anger. Just because he was the smartest of the group doesn't he has to be responsible for him.

"Sir I believe that we may be able to recreate an image of his face and as a matter of fact we already have."

"Well where is it?"

"The girl named Kloer has it, she's the one who drew it."

Zoan stared at Fahn for a second then seethed, trying to keep his voice level, "Well, go get it."

Fahn got of his knees and began walking to fetch Kloer. Zoan sighed, why did he have to be the one dealing with all the minute problems of minute people in a war that was already won? He wished he could be back at the front lines leading his troops like he used to, not delivering orders for a fight he wouldn't see.

Fahn quickly covered the distance to get Kloer. When he finally found her he said to her, "C'mon the general wants to see the painting."

Kloer stood up then got really close to Fahn and whispered, "We have a problem."

"What do you mean?" he whispered back.

"We're missing some people."

"Well of course we're missing some people four of them where left back there."

"No you don't understand," Kloer interrupted, "We're not missing four people we're missing more like fourteen!"

" #$%!"

"So are you suggesting that the supposed assassin was in your group the whole time and you didn't even notice!" Fahn had told Zoan about the missing men and how he believed it was related to the assassin and Zoan was not pleased. Well actually he was so angry that he literally wanted to rip Fahn's head off.

"Yes sir, you see he had disabled four of our men back where we first encountered him so he probable stole one of the men's armor and blended in with us."

"You left four dead men behind with their armor and weapons! Do you have any idea how much that stuff costs!"

"Sir, they weren't dead."

"Oh that's even more splendid," Zoan said sarcastically starting to foam at the mouth, "So you left four living men who probable could have been useful soldiers, along with their weaponry?! Are you mentally challenged! Why didn't you just carry the men back, it's not like you where rushing here seeing as your journey took three days."

Fahn sighed.

"Oh quit your whining and why don't you actually do something useful and GET ME THE PAINTING OF HIM!" Zoan screamed.

"It's right here sir," Fahn said, pulling the painting out of his sack and handing it to Zoan.

"Guards," Zoan yelled.

Four guards in clad in fire nation attire came running to him, "Yes, sir."

"Search the premises for this man," Zoan said handing the painting to him, "He may have disguised himself as one of us so retrieve all the guards and then search every single person here."

"Yes, sir."

The guard ran off with the other guards giving them instructions. Fahn turned to leave when Zoan yelled, "Get all your men together an inspect them!"

"We've already done that, sir."

"Well," Zoan said, the anger spewing from his mouth, "DO IT AGAIN!"

All twenty two of them where lined up in front of the general. Fahn had told them that the general wanted to see them all for reasons that he didn't specify so that the assassin didn't know what was going on. They were all standing in a straight line across facing the general so that Zoan could see them all.

Zoan stared at them for a second then said, "REMOVE YOUR HELMETS."

They all began to lift their helmets revealing their identities. The general cast a fleeting eye over all of them and then saw it. One of the men had started to slide into the shadows. A normal man would not have seen this motion and would believe that the man just disappeared but Zoan knew better his eye was trained to catch the insignificant details, anything that could be useful in battle.

"Hey you," Zoan yelled, "You next to the fat guy, where do you think you're going."

The man froze then stepped back up.

"Nowhere, sir."

"Take off your helmet," Zoan said.

"Sure," The man cheerily said. He pulled of his helmet stared at the ground for a second them looked up and Nazca said, "Well how's it going."

The rest of the group gasped and stumbled away from him.

"Guards!" Zoan yelled. Five guards ran into the room and said, "Yes, sir."

"Arrest the man," Zoan said, pointing at Nazca.

"Yes sir." The guards began advancing towards, the Zoan said, talking to the remainder of the men, "Don't just stare at him do something."

The rest of the group put their helmets back on and advanced on Nazca. Nazca stepped back into the shadows then, when his pursuers where also in the shadows, he charged.

Then he was gone.

The soldiers stood there staring at each other until one of them said, "Where'd he go?"

Zoan sighed, "Take off your helmets."

"What?" One of the men asked as another laughed.

"Aren't you fire nation freaks supposed to be smart. I mean if you trying to spread your wisdom you need wisdom in the first place," They heard Nazca say chuckling.

The soldiers turned to the direction of the voice but they didn't see him.

"Remove your helmets!" Zoan yelled.

"Why? He'll be able to kill us easier." One of the men said.

"You could all already be dead. He's wearing his helmet therefore you have no way to distinguish yourselves, now TAKE OFF YOUR HELMETS."

The soldiers obeyed and removed their helmets until there was only one man with a helmet. The man with the helmet said, "Looks like I'm out for good," then took off his helmet. Nazca looked up smiled and then pulled out his swords.

The fire nation soldiers began circling him to get the upper hand but the battle was already won in Nazca's opinion. He quickly dispatched the nearest group of troops and then moved on to the second only having used his knife. He got rid of the second group just as easily and he was about to kill the last one when the person he was about to stab said, "Nazca, please."

Nazca realized he was about to kill a girl, but not just any girl but a girl that he actually kind of liked. He had almost killed Kloer.

"Please," she said, her voice barley a whimper.

Nazca stared at her a longing forming inside of him for her and all the people he had lost in the life. He felt the longing to be complete. He would not kill her. He would kill this woman for she was of the fire nation she was the cause of the death of all those close to him. He asked himself was he willing to give break all the moral and ethical boundaries he had created. At the thought of this he was swept off of his feet with emotional scars and lay crying on the ground. After a while he looked up. He was laying on the ground handcuffed. Two fire nation soldiers lifted him off of his feet and dragged him away to a prison cell. Nazca, too tired to fight let it happen and the last thing he remembered before falling unconscious was Kloer standing outside of iron bars whispering the words, "thank you."

They brought him food which ate greedily becoming animalistic. He began to get hungrier and hungrier for his food supply was diminishing. At the end of the first week he realized he could not go on like this and he began training, he trained himself doing an assortment of different activities returning to his previous strength and then getting even stronger and faster. He would act week and animalistic whenever a guard was watching but then when he was alone he would train. Although he could not escape his prison for it was made of metal Nazca practiced his bending by trying to expand his area of sight. Then one day when he felt a guard coming he remembered that he could control blood. So he tried but nothing happened. He tried day after day to no avail until he was finally going to give up but that night when a guard came he found a deeper sense of clarity in sight with the man's blood. It was no longer a liquid that he felt in the man but he know felt it pumping and moving through the body he felt the new power given to him by the moon and seized it.

Fahn was tired as he walked to give the prisoner dinner. He had been up all last night working for the new general Zato. He yawned as he neared the cell and then stopped. Something was wrong. He could just feel it like a tingling sensation in his blood. All of the sudden he uncontrollably felt his limbs being pulled forward making him walk towards the cell. When he reached the cell he stopped and reached into his pocket for the keys, pulled them out and unlocked the cell. As the door swung open Fahn gasped at the sight he saw. There was the kid Nazca sitting there smiling with his hand outstretched toward him as if he was the one controlling him.

"How?" Fahn questioned.

"I'm not sure," Nazca said smiling, "But to me it seems that under the right conditions a waterbender has the ability to manipulate blood by blood bending."

Nazca stood up his hand still out stretched.

"But you're an earthbender, who is waterbending for you?" Then what Fahn was saying hit him, "You're the avatar."

Nazca walked towards Fahn and grabbed Fahn's sword from his belt. He then leaned forward and whispered, "Not the, an."

Fahn gasped as the sword pierced his heart. Then he collapsed.

Kloer was eating dinner with her colleagues when they heard the alarm bell ring.

"What's going on," she asked the first person she ran into.

"The earthbending prisoner has escaped and is still on the loose in these walls, but be warned he already killed a soldier."

"Who?"

The man shrugged and then went on his way.

So Nazca was loose and dangerous. She silently wondered to herself how he escaped the prison, it was made completely of metal. Then she realized that he was going to have a very hard time getting out. The walls were nearly impossible to scale and were made completely of metal.

" #$%!" Nazca said to himself. All the walls where perfectly straight up and down and where made completely of metal. He still had one chance. The gate. As he raced towards the front entrance he kept quiet and to the shadows. Finally he reached the court yard. He took a deep breath and then sprinted for the gate.

"There he is," Zoan yelled, pointing at the figure running for the gate. Kloer turned facing Nazca saw him and began sprinting towards him along with other fire nation soldiers. Hurry, she willed Nazca to go faster the gate was almost closed and he wasn't going to make it. She knew that if the gate closed with him inside he was as good as dead.

He was almost there, just a little bit farther. Slam! The giant metal doors where sealed shut. He had no chance. He felt the hundreds of guards chasing towards him and realized he couldn't fight his way out of this one. He turned and looked at the door. He sighed and took a deep breath and then concentrated. What was the difference between metal and earth he thought. One was just harder and would hurt a lot more the first time he tried to bend it. He then smiled and punched the gate.

What was he doing Kloer thought to herself, trying to punch the door down. Then it hit her like a stone wall. She stopped dead in her tracks, was it possible, could someone metalbend. She saw Nazca turn around and waved. Then he jumped and kicked the doors down. Yep it was possible.

Nazca ran and ran. He kept on running until his feet burned and lungs felt like ice. Then he kept running. He ran trying to make sure that no one was trailing him then when he was sure that he had lost them he collapsed onto the ground. The last thing he felt before passing out was an old man with a teacup standing over him.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 The old man with the tea cup

Nazca awoke to the smell of soup. He heard a rustling and expanded his mind. He felt the old man over in the corner. He was stirring something over a nearby fire. The old man was rather fat but he was focused and relaxed. Nazca sat up and immediately felt his stomach growl.

"Ungh."

"Hungry?" the old man question.

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"Ah but I do."

The man handed Nazca a bowl of noodles. Nazca thanked him then dug in extremely grateful. After he finished Nazca sat back, no longer craving. He sat there agitated. He needed to relax from the ordeal and plan his next move.

"Do you have any tea?"

"Ah. A man with a taste for tea. What kind would like?"

"Ginseng if you have any. It's my favorite."

"Mine as well," the man said, pouring them both a cup. Nazca took the cup thankfully and had a sip. After a minute of relaxing Nazca was finally thinking clear again. He looked up and the old man and said, "Do I know you from somewhere?"

The old man laughed, "I asked you the same question yesterday before you passed out. However today I believe I have figured it out. I remember you being the soldier who I treated after the Avatar escaped from our ship during our journey to the southern water tribe."

Nazca sat up as he realized this was true, "You're Iroh."

"That I am," Iroh said with a smile.

"Where's is your nephew, Zuko?"

"He went off alone for a while."

Nazca thought about this, wondering if he could trust this man. Iroh noticed him concentrating and asked him, "If you are wondering if you can trust me I want to let you know that I already know one of your secrets and I have kept it that way."

Nazca stiffened, "What are you talking about?"

"I must be honest with you, during the week you were unconscious from the encounter with the Avatar something else happened with your eyes other than the fact that you where blind."

"I'm not sure I know what you are talking about?"

"You can stop lying to me, when you where unconscious your eyes went to the same state as the Avatar's as he entered the avatar state. I know that you are somehow connected to the Avatar and therefore very valuable to the fire nation, a nation that has labeled me a traitor."

Nazca thought for a moment then he said, "You're right, I am an avatar."

Iroh smiled, "I already knew something along those lines, what I don't know is how?"

"When the previous avatar Aang disappeared he had been frozen in an iceberg. The spirits of the past avatar hoped he would return but realized that he wasn't going to so sixteen years ago they blessed a mortal with the avatar spirit that mortal being me. I am not part of the avatar cycle but I am still an avatar and two avatar's mess things up."

"That would explain the situation," Iroh said.

They sat there for a moment and then realized something. "You're a firebender right?"

"Yes,"

"Could you teach me firebending."

Iroh smiled, "It would be my honor however I am following my nephew so we will have to practice and journey so we use our time wisely and use all of our free time for training seeing as firebending is the opposite element of waterbending it will be more difficult than learning earthbending."

Nazca nodded, "I know"

"Very well then let us begin," Iroh said.

They walked over to a small field where Iroh said, "Fire is known to be an element of destruction while it is also an element of life. Heat is a key element to life and we need it to survive. Fire comes from inside you and you release it through your breath give it a try."

Nazca stopped breathed in then punched creating nothing. He stopped and then tried it again and again there was nothing. He stopped and tried it again failing he sighed and said, "I guess it just doesn't really work for me."

Iroh shook his head, "Fire is not a passive element. It requires food to burn and for you to use your passion to create it. It is not stubborn like earth and it requires you to understand it and want to use it. You must release the fire within yourself to create it."

Nazca stopped and concentrated. He thought about the rage that he had buried. His angers with the fire nation. His anger with destiny and his anger with himself for leaving everyone he loved. And then he made fire.

It was an orange-yellow fire that went only a foot in front of him but it was still fire. And as he made this fire he felt a new world begin to open up to him and began to see knew things in his mind. He felt the fire that he created and he also felt the heat of his body and of Iroh's across from him. Nazca looked up smiling proud at his work. "Good," Iroh said, "Now do it again."

Nazca punched and once again created fire, this time greater than before. He smiled then focused and punched again creating a full blast of fire.

"Very good," Iroh said and then the training began.

They sparred each time Nazca cast fire it was stronger than before until Iroh finally said, "Enough, you have learned the art of firebending very quickly and have come to nearly master it. I believe that you have what it takes to be a master."

Nazca looked at him confused.

"You have shown great powers, powers beyond any normal man. I believe that you have what it takes to have a chance to prove yourself a master. Would you like to continue with a journey towards mastership?"

Nazca shrugged, "Sure."

"There is a game that you must learn and accept if you want to continue on this path, the game is called Pai Sho."

The next day Iroh and Nazca continued on the journey stopping only to teach Nazca Pai Sho and rest. After three days of travel Nazca had become extraordinarily good at the game one of their matches taking three hours long resulting in a narrow win by Iroh.

"Now," Iroh said, "what many people don't realize is that Pai Sho is more than a game, it is in fact a way of life. A way of philosophy and waiting for the right moment to strike, as a master of the game adapting to this culture will be very easy and you mostly already have however if you wish to become a master you will have to prove yourself I battle against another master, the other master being me." Iroh then stripped himself of his casual clothes and put on gear more suitable for fighting as Nazca did the same.

"Are you ready," Iroh said.

Nazca nodded.

"Good. This is not going to be one of our sparring sessions, it is a full out full power fight. It ends when one fighter falls or when I say stop. I want you to only use firebending to prove yourself with an unnatural, unfamiliar, and new element. That way I know your power for your other elements is superior." Nazca nodded, "All ready," Iroh said, "Then let's begin our Agni Kai."

Nazca and Iroh both took stance. Nazca breathed in and exhaled, his blood pumping through his veins he focused on the fire within him and let it grow. He made sure to not let it burn beyond his control but rather to the point of its strongest power. He then inhaled and released a torrent of fire at Iroh. Iroh stepped back and deflected the blow and released his own attack which Nazca blocked. Nazca once again kicked releasing a stream of fire at Iroh which Iroh blocked up and returned a wave of his own fire. Nazca blocked this and sent a pure blast of fire at Iroh that was hotter than before followed by an even hotter blast of fire that had a blue base. He jumped a kicked releasing another blast of fire that was completely blue and jumped again sending another blast even hotter. Then he landed and punched with both fists sending a giant wave of extremely hot white fire at Iroh. Iroh blocked the attacks each one becoming harder for him to attack until the last blast of white fire hit him and knocked him off of his feet. He rolled on the ground then said, "Enough."

He stood up and patted the dust off him then said, "You have just learned firebending and yet your fire is extremely strong and probably the hottest fire I have ever seen. You have achieved something that I though impossible, you created white fire."

Nazca raised his eyebrows, "Really, I felt it get hotter but it was white?"

Iroh nodded his head, "Yes. After seeing that performance I believe that you are ready to become a member of the order of the white lotus. Are you willing to accept the philosophy of the order and become a member."

"Yes,"

"Then I Grand Master Iroh of the fire nation declare that you Nazca of the water tribe are from now on to be not only a member of the order of the white lotus but also a fellow Grand Master, do you accept this position of authority?"

"I do,"

"Then rise fellow Grand Master Nazca."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12 There should be only one

Iroh awoke the next day to the noise of Nazca practicing firebending. He stood up and walked over behind a tree to see what the young child was doing. He saw Nazca standing there staring ahead with his fists clenched then he inhaled and then exhaled releasing a torrent of fire out of his mouth.

"Not many people are able to breathe fire," Iroh said.

"What other techniques are there to the art of firebending besides just creating fire?"

Iroh sighed, "I knew that you would one day ask to learn this one day or another. There is a dangerous technique based off of firebending called lightningbending. It is a form of bending where you must split the energy within yourself and when it rushes back to return to your body you create lightning."

"Can you show me how to do it?"

Iroh nodded, "Come with me."

They went to a clearing were Iroh took a solid stance. He said, "It is like I said, to generate lightning you must split the energy within yourself creating an imbalance. When you release the energy you provide the pathway for it to leave your body generating lightning. However I must warn you, when you create the lightning you are its humble servant guiding it and you have no control over its effect. You must respect it or it will destroy you. Fire itself is life and there is nothing to fear about it however lightning is pure power and fear. In most cases it is instant death and must be treated as such."

Then Iroh demonstrated. He pointed one arm up at an angle and the other one down at an angle. He then rotated them pulling them toward his body. As he did electricity began to emanate from his body. Hr then brought his arms together his fingers pointing at each other. Then he brought one hand up index finger pointing forward. As he did this a bolt of lightning shot out of his hand and hit a rock surface fifty feet away exploding as it made contact.

Nazca then stepped forward to attempt the move. He inhaled and performed the same movements as Iroh as he brought his hands together in front of his heart he felt the electricity crackling. He exhaled and pointed his finger forward. He felt the electricity leave his body heading forward. He felt it collide with the rock surface fifty feet away, exploding and shattering part of the rock face.

"Very good," Iroh said, "I have never seen someone master something so quickly. It was almost perfect."

Nazca smiled. He too had realized how quickly he had mastered the elements he had heard that it took years and years of practice and what had taken his past lives years to master he had done within a day. It was amazing and yet impossible.

"I really have no idea how I can master the elements so fast it just seems to come to me. Air should be a breeze," Nazca said smiling. The he sighed.

"What is it?" Iroh asked.

"I just realized that there is no way for me to master air with the only other person being the avatar and for some reason whenever I get close to him I feel intense pain then faint."

Iroh nodded his head thinking, "I believe that I can explain the fainting."

Nazca looked at him confused.

"It is unnatural for you to coexist with yourself and for this reason I believe that whenever you come into close proximity with your past life and you feel intense pain, this is your body's attempting to join together and become one."

Nazca then realized something, "The avatar state is all the avatars power in one being right."

"Right."

"So when Aang, the other avatar enters the avatar state I enter it as well, that was what happened when the moon died," He said talking mostly to himself, "So in that case if I enter the avatar state Aang's will also enter it and his body will become just as vulnerable as mine!" Nazca said worried.

Iroh looked at his puzzled his brow furrowed, "You become completely vulnerable when the other avatar enters the avatar state?" He asked.

"Yes, I kind of just pass out and my mind seems to go and join Aang's body."

Nazca then remembered what the man Roku had said, "If the avatar dies in the avatar state all the past avatars will vanish and the cycle will cease to exist. So if I die while in the avatar state, what will happen to Aang?"

Iroh thought about this and then said, "He'll lose his energy and die. However if Aang dies in the avatar state I believe you will live on just without the power of the avatar state."

Nazca realized that he could never go into the avatar state, if Aang passed out on his bison or in battle there was no way he would survive. Then he felt her. Fifty feet over coming towards them. Toph.

Nazca quickly got up and ran over to Iroh and whispered, "There's a friend of mine coming but I don't her to know that I was here okay whatever you do don't tell her I exist."

"Very well," Iroh said.

"Thank you for everything fellow grandmaster," Nazca said bowing.

"It was my pleasure," Iroh said returning the gesture.

Nazca stood up turned and began running away time to learn airbending.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13 Deadly relations

He had felt it shaking the earth like a colossal landslide but he knew it wasn't. He could feel it moving near him the colossal object rocketing by him but he had ignored it as nothing more than an odd happening. Today however he knew what it was. The giant machine stood in front of him, a giant metal object. It appeared to him as some sort of vessel of transportation. It was empty. Nazca expanded his mind looking for where they had went. He found their tracks, three lines of dirt that had been pushed down. He followed unsure where they were headed. Minutes later he felt the tracks come to a split. He felt one path taken by one of the beasts and another path taken by two of them. He decided that it would be best to follow the road taken by the two beasts. Nazca walked forward heading along the trail. He walked for a couple minutes and then he felt them. Two girls where riding on the lizard-rhinos. Then he recognized them. They where maybe fifty feet away from the girls. It was Katara and Sokka. The sky-bison was nearby as they had recently got off of it. Nazca felt the two girls walk towards them. The one girl was taller with flat hair and was wearing a cloak like dress. The other girl was shorter with a pony tail wearing a light top leaving part of her stomach exposed and a mini skirt. The ponytail girl walked with a spring in her step whereas the cloaked girl walked rather gloomily. He felt them confront Katara and Sokka and exchange a few words. Then the cloaked girl pulled stilettos out of her cloak and throw them at Katara while the ponytail girl attacked Sokka. He felt Katara block the stilettos with a small swing of frozen water. Then cloaked girl launched another attack pinning Katara to a nearby tree. The ponytail girl however hit Sokka's limbs in and odd fashion causing them to lose movement until both his arm and a leg was limp and he attempted to head but the girl. The girl tried the same blocking technique but just ended up hurting her hand. Sokka fell backwards from the sudden loss of balance and landed at Katara's feet. The two girls approached the two members of the water tribe and Nazca got ready to go rescue them but then the sky-bison which had remained off to the side flew down, smacked its tail and sent the two girls flying into the river. Nazca smiled as Katara and Sokka got on the sky bison and left and then prepared to follow them. The n he realized looking back at the girls, he could learn a lot about the enemy right now if he played his cards right. He smiled to himself then walked out of the seclusion of the trees just as the girls got out of the water.

"How's it going ladies?" Nazca called over to them.

The two girls looked up, surprised at the new comer. "Get out of here," the cloaked girl told him but the ponytail girl flipped into a handstand and rolled over to him.

"Hi," she said flirtatiously.

"So," Nazca began, "What are you fine ladies doing all the way out here."

"We were following the avatar," she said smiling.

"Shut up Ty Lee," The cloaked girl said, "We don't exactly want the entire world knowing who we are, for all we know he's from the earth kingdom."

Nazca laughed, "Earth Kingdom, who do you know from the earth kingdom that's a firebender," he said while creating a small plume of fire making sure it remained red instead of his usual white.

"You're a firebender," The girl called Ty Lee said.

"And you're Ty Lee," he said smiling, "The name's Nazca. So why are you guys soaked?"

The cloaked girl sighed, "We just got our butts kicked by the avatar's pet. By the way I'm Mai."

Mai and Ty Lee, Nazca stored that information, so they were chasing Aang.

"You girls want me to make you a fire and some tea?"

"That'd be very nice," Ty Lee said.

Nazca got to work gathering wood for the fire and herbs for the tea. He brought a pile of would together and lit it using fire bending. He walked into the woods out of sight once the fire was started and made sure that he was out of sight. The he stopped and inhaled. He reached out with his mind exploring the earth beneath his feet. He gathered up as much metal as he could then brought it out of the earth . He washed the metal and then fashioned it into a tea pot. He walked back towards the fire then stopped once he heard them talking. He crept as close as he dared and listened in to the conversation.

"…did you see him, he's really cute," Ty Lee said.

Really cute? Thought Nazca intrigued. He expanded his mind to the shape of Ty Lee. She seemed pretty although he couldn't really tell. Whatever he thought jumping back to the conversation.

"Who cares what he looks like we have no idea who he is, we should leave know and see what Azula is up too."

"C'mon can't we stay for a little bit longer, I'm still soaked."

"I doubt Azula will care how wet we are when she finds out we were humiliated by the avatar's friends and instead of helping her we're goofing off with a random boy."

"Please," Ty Lee said desperately.

"Whatever," Mai sighed.

Just then Nazca walked out of the forest, teapot and herbs in hand. I've got these herbs I found so I'll whip us up a refreshing cup of tea huh."

"That sounds great," Ty Lee said happily.

Nazca filled the pot up with water and the herbs and then set it on the fire.

"Where did you find the teapot?" Mai asked.

"I have a camp not far from here and I left to grab it." Then Nazca felt someone walking towards. "Someone's coming." he said.

Mai stood up worried, "Quick hide!"

"What?!"

"Now," she whispered forcefully. Nazca quickly ran into the woods and hid behind a tree. He reached out with his mind quickly visualizing the incomer. She had hair down to her shoulder and was wearing some sort of spikes on her shoulders. He felt her jump, propelling herself with firebending, across the river.

"Where's the avatar?" he heard Mai ask.

"He escaped with the help of my traitor brother and uncle, but it is no matter. I managed to wound the fat slob known as my uncle."

"You mean he didn't redirect it this time," Ty Lee asked surprised.

"Yes," the girl said smugly, "It seems my uncle isn't as good as he thought he was ."

So, Nazca thought, Iroh must be this woman's uncle and that means her brother would be Zuko. Then he remembered, Iroh can redirect lightning, he took mental note of that and thought he should try it sometime, he would just have to figure out how. He snapped back to the conversation just in time for him to hear the girl say, "So who were you talking to?"

"No one," Mai sighed, "What made you think that?"

"Oh come on don't lie, I saw him running into the trees before I came and I haven't heard anything since so he must still be there," she said with a smirk.

"We honestly weren't talking to anyone," Ty Lee said innocently.

"Oh really, then whose this," She said referring to Nazca who had just stepped out of the trees and started walking towards them.

"Hey," Nazca called, "I'm Nazca. How's it going?"

"Very well," the girl said dryly, she then turned to Mai and Ty Lee, "So you two were lying to me."

"We weren't lying," Ty Lee scrambled, "We had no idea anyone was even near here."

"It's okay Ty Lee," Nazca said, "You don't have to keep covering for me. Hi," He said, addressing the girl, "I was just out camping and I saw these two girls, I didn't realize talking to them was a crime," He said laughing.

"It might soon be," she said not amused.

"Hey, I'm just trying to make a conversation, I'll leave if you want me too."

"That would be nice," She said with a false smile.

"Whatever," Nazca said then he turned around, "Oh by the way what was your name, my uncle's an admiral and I'm sure he love to hear about this."

The girl smiled broadly, the evil proud on her face, "Oh I'm just princess Azula heir to the throne, please don't tell your uncle, I'll do anything," She said feigning innocence. Then her expression change to one of annoyance, "What's your uncle's name?" she demanded of him.

"Um," Nazca stuttered, racking his brain for a name, "Admiral Fahn," he said thinking of the man he had took the life of using blood bending.

Azula smiled, "I'll make sure I throw in a good word for him," she said with a sinister smile.

"I'm so sorry," Nazca said backing away, "I didn't know please forgive me, don't do anything to my uncle," He begged.

"We'll see," she said, smirking, "Now, leave," she commanded him. Nazca turned away, running. He smiled to himself, hopefully if there was an admiral Fahn he wouldn't get in too much trouble, scratch that he thought, let him get into all the trouble he can, that's one less admiral.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14 The Man in the Library

Nazca was tired. He had been following Aang for some time and recently they had decided to take a journey on the sky bison into the desert. Nazca had followed them on foot and not only was he tired from walking all day but he also was thirsty, the sun was sucking all the moisture out of him and he couldn't stop thinking about his dry throat. Also his earthbending was subpar having been affected by the sand, it was softer and grainier and he couldn't feel the vibrations nearly as well and it was really distracting and confusing seeing as his waterbending sight was pretty much completely useless with the deprivation of water particles in the desert. He sighed then sat down. If he was going to figure out where Aang and his friends where going to land he would have to be able to see somehow. He pushed his hand into the sand, picking up a handful of the loose grains. He focused his earth bending, bringing the handful of sand into focus, trying to get accustomed to it. He felt the particle shift easily as he tilted his hand one way and then the other, they tumbled over each other, out of control. Then he realized. The particles were just like water. Of course they were denser and were made of larger particles but it acted just as water did. He stood up and expanded his range of view feeling all the chaotic grains within a thirty foot radius around him. He then raised one foot and stomped. He felt the vibrations traveling through the particle, disrupting them, but also moving around a rock that was twenty feet away. He smiled realizing that the particle would move like water under any vibration. They might just quiver, he realized as he felt the shape of some skull at least fifty feet away from him, but they still move. He started to run in the general direction that the group had left in but then stopped. He would really never be able to catch up with the flying bison by running unless he somehow propelled himself forward, then he smiled, realizing he could. He stepped into a running stance with one foot forward and the other back. He pushed off with his lead foot using the sand particles to accelerate him even faster. He then used the other foot in the same manner creating some sort of earthbending run. He smiled as the wind blew at his face, his speed increased tenfold of what it had been, he would catch up to them in no time.

He had been traveling for a couple minutes and then he felt it. It was fifty feet over to his left and he would have completely missed it if he wasn't blind but he was. He stopped his sand run and quickly ran over to the object. It was a spire that was sticking maybe twenty feet out of the ground and went for at least fifty under it. He walked up to it and smacked his hand against it, feeling the vibrations travel through it. He gasped, the building, whatever it was seem to go on forever. It was completely hollow and he felt water particles on the inside, in front of him. Finally he sighed he would actually be able to see clearly. He earth bended the part of the spire in front of him opening it like a door. He stepped forward and walked on to a platform he made using sandbending. He raised the earth back up behind him restoring the spire to its original shape. He expanded his mind using the water particles. He gasped as he realized the spire seemed to descend forever. He sighed, only one way to find out if it ends. He gathered up as much water as he could creating a small pillar five feet high under him and then jumped. He fell waiting to feel something and he almost immediately felt it. It was fifty feet under him, something to land on. He expanded the pillar of water under him and waited. As he hit the ground beneath him he used the water to soften his billow, rolling as he came out of the fall. He was pretty banged up but after a quick scan he realized nothing was broken. He patted himself off and expanded his mind just in time to see an owl coming at him. He turned and faced the beast surprised at its size and the amount of energy echoing from it.

As the owl landed in front of him Nazca quickly asked, "Are you a spirit?"

The owl sighed, "Ignorant mortals, yes I am the spirit who brought this library form the spirit world to the mortal world so that you could all use my wisdom."

"Oh," Nazca said disappointed, "This is a library."

The spirit tilted its head, " Yes, were you expecting more than infinite knowledge?"

"No!" Nazca said backtracking, "it's just that I'm blind."

The spirit looked at Nazca thinking, "Are you an avatar?" it asked.

Nazca looked at him confused, "Yes,"

"There is someone here who wants to see you, he came here a long time ago, and told me that one day a blind avatar would come and he must go to him," The spirit said walking away.

"Wait what," Nazca said confused, "Where is this man, how do I find him?"

The spirit turned towards him, an expression resembling a smile appeared to be on its face, "Why he is at the very bottom of the library. As to get there, you have to jump," The spirit said indicating towards the emptiness underneath the platform.

Nazca expanded his mind searching downward but the bottom was nowhere in view.

"How," Nazca said turning to the spirit, but it had already disappeared.

Nazca expanded his mind, searching downwards. He seemed to be in the middle of two bridges that intersected in the center of the library. The bridges seemed to connect the different sides of the immense library. Upon viewing down, Nazca found multiple floors all with the same four way cross. He calculated that if he launched himself into the middle of one of the gaps he would fall all the way down interrupted. He began to collect water but realized at the speed he was going when he reached the bottom wherever it was, no amount of water would help, he would just have to hope this man could save him. He walked to the edge and got ready to jump. He took a deep breath and then terrified stepped down. His heart was pounding insanely fast beating at his rib cage.

"This is insane!" he yelled hearing his echoed words come back to him. He paced around in circles trying to clear his head. Then all of the sudden he just felt calm and relaxed. He walked over the edge, climbed on top of the railing and hoped off. Then the calamity left him and he screamed for his life. He felt the wind rushing by him as he fell. He was terrified at what he had just done. There was no way he could survive this, he had known that and for some reason he had decided to jump. He then realized he was still falling. Nazca laughed at the situation. He could have seconds left to live or he could have a year before he hit the bottom of this library. The spirit said it was infinite wisdom, maybe it really was and in that case it just went on forever. Then he realized he would eventually die of starvation. He sighed as he continued to fall, then he realized, he might be able to learn airbending and save his life, he was after all an avatar and he had mastered air over a thousand times before. He inhaled and focused forgetting about everything, losing all control free falling through time and space. He felt himself lose all fear all guilt that he had. He let go off any shame that he had, he lost all grief all sorrow that he had felt. He let go of all emotions allowed himself to realize that all things were one, gaining freedom within himself and then he let go. He let go of Katara, of Sokka, of Suki, Toph and that cute girl Ty Lee. He let go of everything and everyone. The he opened his mind and entered the avatar state.

Aang was riding on Appa, his sky bison, looking for the library. He was tired and was giving up hope that this library even existed. It had been an hour since he had left. He stretched back against Appa's neck relaxing. It had been a long day and Sokka's mini-vacation wasn't that much fun right now. He began to close his eyes taking a short nap even though he was supposed to be helping to look for the library. He shut his eyes for a moment and then opened them again. He felt himself falling and he realized he had to save himself. He felt himself uncontrollably began creating an air bubble round him slowing his descent rapidly. He then released the air bubble and fell five feet to the floor. Aang felt himself look up and see a dark figure waiting for him, then he snapped awake.

"Wait what's that," he heard Sokka yell.

Aang turned to where Sokka was pointing and saw a spire sticking out of the sand. He turned Appa towards the spire and headed over to what he already knew was the lost library.

"What do you want, who are you?" Nazca called at the cloaked figure. He had only seen him for a moment while he was in the avatar state but he saw the man cloaked in black standing across from him.

"I wish to speak to you," the man said in a sinister, echoing voice.

"Well now I'm here," Nazca stated bluntly.

"I can see that but the you that I need to speak to is not here."

"What?" Nazca asked confused.

"You have yet to learn the dark secrets, but in time you will as I have done before you. You will know when you achieve this power and when the time comes you must return to me, do you understand?"

"Yeah but why did you have me jump down who knows how far and almost kill myself?"

"You jumped down five stories. I just suspended you and made it appear as if you where falling so you would , master the avatar state."

"What!?" Nazca asked even more confused.

"You have successfully opened all of your chakras and by doing so you now can enter the avatar state upon your own will."

"But I don't want to! If I go into the avatar state Aang will become completely vulnerable," then what Nazca just said hit him, "Oh no, Aang, I…"

"Aang is fine, in fact he is about to enter this library right now," the spirit took a more serious tone, "Approaching here are sandbenders, earthbenders that have acclimated to the desert. They are going to kidnap Aang's sky bison, Appa. You will want to stay near Aang so follow Appa and Aang will come to you, Now leave."

"How am I supposed to get all the way back up there?" Nazca asked.

"Like I said it was only five stories," He said with a smile, "There's a tunnel behind me that will lead ten feet below the surface near the top of the spire."

Nazca nodded and ran towards the tunnel. He began climbing up. When he was about ten feet up he heard the man yell, "Remember when the time comes return to me!"

Nazca nodded, "I will," he said under his breath as he neared the top. He earthbended through the last ten feet and propelled himself above the surface. The first thing he felt was that the library was sinking. It was somehow being pulled under the earth. He felt Toph trying to stop the library and save her friends that were still in there and also the sandbenders pulling away Appa, the sky bison. Nazca was tempted to free Appa but he knew he had already interfered to much when he pulled Aang into the avatar state and he would help Appa when the time was right. He quickly stole aboard one of the sandbenders vehicles and prepared for what was to come.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen Underwater

Nazca had been following the bison for a couple of days. He had lost it for some time after it escaped from a circus but he quickly found it again. He began following it as it flew. It was a couple of days before the bison reached his destination. The eastern air temple. It took Nazca a short time to scale the temple, using a variety of earthbending and pure climbing to scale it but he soon covered the distance. As he pulled himself up and over the final ledge he gasped exhausted. It was a long climb. He lay there panting for a while until he finally recovered. He wasn't in battle right now and wanted to keep his energy high. He sat up and the ledge and inhaled. As he exhaled he pounded his palm into the ground sending vibrations through the entire structure. He felt the vibrations travel for some time and he almost believed it was abandoned except for the bison. Then he felt the guru.

He was sitting in front of the bison calmly waiting. Nazca began sprinting over to the mysterious old man. He quietly hid himself nearby and listened. He heard the guru comforting the bison and then tie a parcel to the bison's horn. He heard the guru telling the bison to bring the note to Aang. Nazca sat back relaxed as the bison lunged off and began flying away. Another crisis averted, turns out the guru was on Aang's side. Nazca stood up and began walking away when he heard a voice from behind him call, "Where are you going young child."

Nazca froze in his steps.

"I heard you when you started to leave you weren't very stealthy."

The man remained where he was not moving, just meditating. Maybe he was just talking to himself Nazca thought.

"If you think I am talking to myself you are mistaken, now come over here and greet your elder this instant."

Nazca sighed, he toyed with just leaving for a second then turned around and walked back.

"What do want from me?"

The guru exhaled, "Your future seems twisted like a coiled snake, but a snake that bites its own tail."

Nazca sighed, "I don't have time for mindless blabbering," he said standing up getting ready to leave.

"Who are you?"

Nazca was taken by surprise, "What?"

"Who are you?"

"Nazca?"

"No that is your name your parents gave to you, the question was who are you?"

Nazca stopped thinking, the question left so many answers, he was Nazca, he was the other avatar, he was an warrior, he boy, but almost a man. Nazca kept thinking, the answer seemed deeper than this somehow locked deeper within himself.

"Let me rephrase that," the guru said, "Who are you in accordance of this war?"

The answer seemed to come to him from nowhere as if he had always known it.

"I am the world's last hope."

Then he opened his eyes to a new world. He saw Katara underground with Zuko, her hand on his scar, he saw Katara leaning over Aang, healing his back, then he saw Aang's staff burning in a volcano, then he saw Aang, standing in an empty fire nation capitol city, then Zuko at Aang's knees his arms raised in surrender, then Zuko was hugging Katara, then he was being electrocuted, then Nazca saw himself, he saw himself blind, one arm a metal one, he was riding on a black dragon flying towards something, then he saw the fire nation crumbling before his feet, and then Darkness.

He gasped as he was brought back to reality. He felt different. The guru looked at him questioningly, "What did you see?"

He thought but the images where just blurs then the image of a boy dying flashed through his mind.

"Jet."

He was swimming underwater heading towards the secret caverns of old Ba Sing Se. He knew that his dying master was there and he was going to save him. He propelled himself to the bottom of the lake. When he reached it he earthbended himself into the tunnels while waterbending the water to prevent it from getting in. he fell to the tunnel ground and bended off the water. He stomped into the earth and found Jet. He sprinted over and then felt them. Katara, Sokka, Aang and Toph all in there. He felt them walking away. As they rounded the corner he sprinted into the room ignoring the silent archer, Longshot and the small girl Smellerbee who was holding Jet.

"Jet." Nazca said.

"Hey Nazca, I'm not doing to good here am I if I'm seeing you again."

"I can heal you."

"No you can't Katara already tried. Besides my time has come."

Nazca stared at him then said, "You never really know when your time is until it happens, today may not be you day."

Jet smiled, "But it is." he rolled over to face Nazca, "I know I've made some wrong decisions in the past but I've always wanted what was best for my freedom fighters."

"I know."

Jet sighed, "Death is surprisingly painful."

"Not the end."

"Kill some firebenders for me." Then Jet breathed his last.

Nazca stared at them man who had began his journey. "Your greatest enemy is your greatest ally."

He turned to Smellerbee and Longshot, "Leave now, both of you. I'm giving him a burial."

"We can help you," Smellerbee protested.

"No you can't leave now, I bringing this place down," he paused his anger starting to boil over, "And I won't be coming back."

Longshot grabbed Smellerbee and began to pull her along. At the doorway he nodded to Nazca one last time.

Nazca sat there building up his energy getting ready to release it. He would give them a minute to leave, then the place would fall. he firebender, lighting Jet on fire. Allowing his enemies and allies to become one. "You need fire."

Then he exploded.

Nazca sent the most powerful wave of fire ever seen. He smashed through the nearby wall shattering them. Then he reached out with all his might and then pulled the place down. He earthbended everything, pulling it in to him. He felt the place shatter under his might, floors and walls collapsed as they were brought under his pressure. Then the ceiling above him shattered. He felt the rocks fall on him along with the tons of water rushing in from the inside. He earthbended a shield but the force was to strong and he was knocked back. He felt himself lose conciseness and he was glad. He was ready to die.

Then he remembered. He shot up with all his might propelling himself. He felt himself fly out of the water and twenty feet into the air. He landed on the beach with perfect form.

He was the last hope.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter sixteen Chi

"Hello Iroh."

The old man looked up at his tea, surprised at the newcomer, "Nazca," he said surprised at the intrusion, "What brings you to this tea shop?"

"I was just in town and decided to swing by," He said with a smile.

"Why are you in Ba Sing Se?" The old man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I've been following the path of some merchandise and it was last seen here. Come sit down," He said gesturing to a nearby table, "I want to ask you something."

They were in a tea shop that Iroh had recently started working at. They were in the city of Ba Sing Se, the capitol of the earth kingdom that had stayed safe from the fire nation with giant walls, taller than any building. It was one of the largest cities and housed the earth king himself. Nazca and Iroh walked over to a table and sat down.

"So," Iroh began, "What merchandise have you been tracking."

Nazca lowered his voice, "I've been following the avatar's bison, it was stolen and sold to a circus but then broke free. I lost it for a while then followed it to air temple where the bison got a note from a guru that he was supposed to give to Aang, then he came here and I lost him."

"This note," Iroh asked, "Did you happen to read it?"

"No, it was addressed to Aang and I decided maintain some privacy."

"So why are you here?"

"A couple reasons actually," Nazca said with a smile, "But first let's have some tea."

Iroh got up and grabbed a kettle. He poured them both a cup and then sat down, "So tell me," he began, "What's on your mind?"

Nazca sat back, taking a sip of tea, "The first thing is I was just wondering if you heard anything about the sky bison?"

Iroh shook his head, "No, nothing."

"As expected," Nazca said smiling, " however my next inquiries are things I wish to ask you alone."

Iroh nodded, leaning forward to maintain the integrity of their conversation.

"I heard from an outside source that you can redirect lightning and I was wondering if you would teach me."

Iroh smiled, "Where did you learn I could redirect lightning?"

"From your niece Azula," Nazca said with a grin.

Iroh sighed, "Azula, ah my niece is one confused child, may I ask where you encountered her?"

"I encountered soon after I left you, she was with some friends of hers, a girl named Mai and one named Ty Lee. She said that this time she wounded you and you couldn't redirect it."

"Yes," Iroh said, stretching back, "She was cornered and of course she didn't give up. She caught me by surprised with a bolt of lightning, I should have seen it coming and redirected it but I thought she would have given up," he sighed, "I should have known her better."

"So you can redirect lightning," Nazca pushed, intrigued.

"Yes," Iroh said with a smile, "And if you wish I could teach you."

Nazca nodded, "Whenever you get the chance," he said smiling, then he lowered his voice, his tone now serious he said, "Now, let's talk Pai Sho."

"Nazca, couldn't you have picked a more fragrant place to practice?"

Nazca and Iroh were standing in a garbage dump. Nazca had lead them here so that Iroh might be able to teach him how to redirect lightning.

"This is the best place if we don't want to get detected," Nazca said, "Now teach me the move."

Iroh nodded, "I would go through the same steps that I showed Zuko but I guess we can skip the introduction to waterbending," He said laughing, then his tone got serious, "Redirecting lightning is not something that most people will know how to do seeing as I invented it. It involves the controlling, patient and calm work of waterbending if it is to be performed successfully," Iroh took a deep stance, inhaled then exhaled.

'When you decide to redirect the lightning coming at you must have no second thoughts. You will raise any arm of your choosing," he said demonstrating, "Take the lightning into your arm, guide up your arm, down and through your stomach and out the other arm," Iroh repeated the movements, starting by pointing his right arm and left arm to his right then bringing them down to his stomach and raising them both to his left, then he inversed them, going the other way. Then he gestured for Nazca to join him.

Nazca took the stance and repeated the movement carefully executed each move as the elder master had.

"You must be sure to focus your chi, your life force and eternal energy, but most important you must be sure not to let the lightning pass through your heart, for your heart is you life force and the center of your chi."

After minutes of executing the move he turned to Iroh and said, "Let's trying it."

Iroh looked up at him and said, "I will tell you the same thing I told my nephew, lightning is too dangerous and there is no way I would shoot it at you, hope you never have to use this move."

Nazca raised his head, meeting his eyes with Iroh's, "I am not your nephew Zuko, I am not completely helpless, I am your fellow grandmaster and you and I both know I will have to use this move one day, so teach me it."

Iroh looked at him sternly then said, "As you wish."

Iroh stood up and took a stance across form Nazca, he breathed in then moved him arms in a unique pattern, summoning the energy. As the electricity took shape, Iroh pointed his finger towards Nazca and unleashed the lightning. Nazca raised his arm and absorbed it. He followed the lightning's path up his arm, through his stomach and out the other arm. He raised his arm as he completed the move, sending the lightning into the night sky. Nazca panted, exhilarated from the immensity of the energy that had just passed through him. "Wow."

Nazca then turned to Iroh and said, "What do you know about air?"

Iroh looked at him and laughed.

He was floating on a rock pedestal, hovering five feet in the air. In his right arm he held water, bending it so it floated around him, and with the other hand he bended a circle of fire around him. He was focusing his chi, maintaining self control. Right now he felt as if the avatar state a step away and was truly tempted to enter it but he knew he needed to learn to airbend without it and that was what he was doing. It had been a week since he had been with Iroh who told him that if he wanted to learn air he would have to do it from an airbender. That airbender Nazca was choosing was himself. He knew he held the power deep inside him was focusing, attempting to uncover it. So far no luck.

He inhaled and exhaled attempting to feel the air around him. He focused all his mind and energy on the slight breeze blowing past him. He felt the air, more free that even water, as it blew right around his face, then he realized it. Air was freedom. Air had no limits, no bounds. It was everywhere and anywhere. It sought the smallest crack and used it to its advantage. It had no limits, no rules. Then Nazca could see. He was still blind but he could see. With the other elements he could feel them but their supplies where limited to the ground and rivers. Now the air came alive. The tree that he had shaped with water and earthbending became even more clear, every notch and scratch visible to him. Then he released the other elements he was bending. He walked over to the nearby lake and inhaled. Facing away from the lake he started bending fire to the west, sending a immense plume of white fire forward and sustaining it. He then turned to the south sending an immense blast of rock flying away. He faced the river and bended a wave larger than any he had created before. Then he turned to the North, he inhaled then bended air, pushing it across the beach. He held all the elements, suspending them for a moment, then released them letting nature gain control of them. He sat down, exhausted from his work, but he was proud. He had bended and mastered all four elements, he was a fully realized avatar. He laid back to take a nap, closing his eyes, relieved. The he opened them wide awake and alert. He felt the energy of his past lives flowing through him and with him. He saw in front f him was a crystal wall and he realized Aang had entered the avatar state. He shattered the crystals around him and felt himself rise, using air to lift him into the air. He stared at the men in front of them, ready to punish them. Then he was hit by lightning. He saw in the corner of his eye, Azula, standing there smirking, as she had just shot him. Then he lost consciousness. He felt his body fall losing life, the energy of his past lives leaving him, his own life leaving him as darkness consumed him. Then all was dark.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter seventeen The Assassin

He saw her, Katara hovering over him, healing him from his wounds, then he flashed back. He lay on the ground exhausted and confused at what had happened. He recalled the events, Aang pulling him into the avatar state, Azula shooting him with lightning, the darkness beginning to envelop him and then Katara healing him. Then it hit him, he realized that not only had he been struck by lightning, he had been struck by lightning in the avatar state. He realized that Katara must have saved not only Aang's life but his life as well.

He sat up, swiftly regaining his energy. He had mastered all four elements and the blade. He had become the warrior he had hoped to be. He realized know he could go make a difference in the war. He walked over to his bag and pulled out his uniform that Suki had made for him. He realized that now, now he was ready to not only be a warrior, but an assassin. He slipped the cloak on. It was a black cloak, Nazca knew from before, and it covered all his arms and went down to his knees, parting at his front, back and sides. It had a hood then when he wore concealed his upper brow and eyes. It was truly an assassins uniform.

Time to go, he thought smiling, and he headed for the fire nation.

General Tso headed to bed, dressed in his pajamas. He yawned while heading over to his bed. He laid down in bed and dismissed his servant, telling him to extinguish the lights. As the room darkened he sighed, it had been a long and cumbersome day, so many orders about capturing Ba Sing Se. Their job had been extremely simplified from the coup d'état that the princess Azula had caused but there still remained the problem of maintaining control and they had to move as many troops as they could. He lay back allow his mind to rest and prepare for the next day. He was lying there for a minute when he heard it, a light thump. Tso sat up immediately, he become paranoid lately as he had been recently promoted and was afraid someone was out to get him. He questioned lightly, "Kan?" pronouncing his servants name slowly hoping the lights would turn on after he uttered the last syllable. He heard a rustling approach his bed. He scrambled to his bedpost sweat beading around his brow, his heart rushing franticly. He looked around his room trying to make something out, but in the darkness there seemed to be a shape everywhere, his imagination out to kill him. Then he felt cold steel upon his neck. He inhaled sharply squirming under the touch.

"Shh," he heard the voice of the man behind him, then "I have heard rumors of the fall of Ba Sing Se. Can you clarify this."

"Uh…Um…Ah," Tso blubbered.

"Take your time," the voice said soothingly, "If you tell me I might make it quicker."

Tso cleared his thoughts, "Yes, Princess Azula lead a coup d'état and Ba Sing Se fell."

Nazca sighed, "You probably should have lied, this news displeases me."

He pulled the blade back, Tso collapsing with a slight gurgling noise. Nazca walked over to the window and prepared to leave. He turned around and called, "Guards, help!"

He felt a sudden rushing and then the door bust open, "Is everything okay…"

The guard reeled back as he saw the mess of blood illuminated by the lamp behind him. He then looked up to see a cloaked figure clad in black., "Wha…Who…" the guard stammered.

"I am the Assassin," Nazca said with a smile, "Welcome to the war."

Admiral Lee walked with four men on each side to the war meeting. He wasn't paranoid, it was just safer to take a few precautions with all these rumors of an assassin on the run. He didn't believe the rumors about the blind assassin who could teleport and control people, but he did believe there was a highly skilled assassin terrorizing the western fire nation. The meeting was with another admiral and a couple of generals discussing the best way to suppress each kingdom rebellions and it was to be quick and conclusive.

As he entered the meeting room he left his guards at the door along with the others. They would be inside upon a moment's notice and that was all he needed, a moment and this meeting was over with. As he entered he gave a slight bow to his fellow admiral saying, "Admiral Fahn," and then gestured to the other generals indicating a greeting.

"Are all present."

"Yes," the calligrapher said.

"Then let us begin,"

They began their discussion, mostly agreeing on everything, then the world fell apart.

The general across from Lee fell face down on the table, a knife in his back and at the same time, an arrow punctured Fahn's heart. He saw a flash as three other generals collapsed, holding there chest. Lee saw the general collapse as a knife flashed by his neck. Then there was a blade pointed at his throat. Lee looked up into the eyes of the blind assassin, "It's true," he sputtered.

The boy looked at him quizzically then lowered his sword and pushed it through his heart. As Lee fell he called for the guards. The guards immediately rushed inside only to see a room full of dead men and on the wall, written in blood, was the water tribe symbol, the symbol of the Assassin.

Nazca sat perched on top of a tower overlooking the city. He could feel everything around him and by using a slight variation of the avatar state he could solely draw the power of vision from his past lives. It wasn't truly the avatar state and he had made sure not to bring Aang into it. He could see the tops of the buildings surrounding him, watching the small fire nation city as the sun set upon it. He felt parents putting their children to sleep, men and women resting from the day and preparing for the next one. He had recently learned that not all citizens of the fire nation were evil and in fact it was mostly the government officials, the soldiers and those of the upper class. The middle and lower class actually treated him as a hero, protesting with the water tribe symbol, the symbol he had adopted to represent change and how change was coming.

He pulled out his bow setting an arrow. It had been quick to master archery. He had picked up a bow and some arrows and used his precise sense of sight to perfect his shooting. He lit one his arrows and aimed up above the city towards the fountain. He launched the arrow, symbolizing the end of the day. It landed in the fountain and was extinguished. He knew that tomorrow more soldiers would be put on patrol but he had to leave. He was not here to protect a city but rather to protect the world. He had to stop the fire nation at its heart, he thought as he scaled down from the tower. He would have to do something huge, something they would notice, he would have to create chaos. He smiled to himself, he knew exactly what to do. He was going to destroy a factory, but not just any factory, the largest factory in the fire nation. The factory of Siwang. The factory of Death.

He sprinted as fast as he could. He only had a couple minutes before the new set of guards finally settled at their posts. He ran across the field approaching the nearest wall. He hit the wall just as the new guards arrived. They began to walk towards him nonchalantly, unaware of the situation. Nazca metalbended the wall, stepped through and sealed the wall behind him. He expanded his mind and encountered all the metal machinery. He searched for support structures, scanning the nearest part of the building for as many as he could. Then he smiled, he could do worse. He inhaled deeply, preparing himself. He then began sprinting using airbending to push himself faster. As he ran he used all of his strength to pull all nearby metal near him, tearing down the ceiling and nearby wall. He sprinted all the way down and turned around. He sighed as he realized it would take forever to do the same thing to the entire building. Then it hit him. He didn't have to destroy it but rather disable it. He earthbended a hole in the ground and jumped in. He breathed in as deeply as he could then used all of his strength to push forward with earthbending. He pushed the earth under the building out of the way slowly, creating a basement level with no support. He dug the entire thing twenty feet deep leaving supports to keep it up while he was under it. As he finished, removing all the earth aside from his supports he ran to the side away from the building, spraying fire everywhere as he ran. He then turned around as he reached the edge and with one last giant push of air he knocked all his supports down. He sprinted away hearing the building groan under the weight but it didn't collapse as it was connected to the earth around it. It sagged in the middle but that was it. He yelled frustrated and exhausted from the work he had done. He then completely out of anger, entered the avatar state.

Aang lay down, exhausted from running all day. The mysterious assassin whom Sokka had dubbed combustion man had been chasing them all and he was exhausted from the experience. He lay down ready for sleep. He slowly drifted off to sleep. Then he awoke. He felt himself rise, using airbending to create a sphere and lift himself into the air. He felt himself turn and face the factory. He yelled, breathing white fire out of his mouth, hands and feet. Then he pulled at the earth. He felt it channeling up, pushing aside and eating any rock that got in the way. He pulled the lava out of the earth. Raising tons of it into the air. He pushed it forward on top of the factory and then dropped it, he pulled more lava out of the ground where the factory was, completely engulfing it in the molten rock. Then Aang sat up in bed, panting and exhausted.

"What is it twinkle toes?" He heard Toph ask using her pet name for him.

"Nothing," he said, "Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

Nazca sighed, he had just done something really stupid. He had shown the world was the avatar was alive and well, contrary to the belief that crown prince Zuko had killed him in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. Then he realized that no one knew it was him. He couldn't feel anyone, and as he thought back he realized no one had seen him. The fire nation would pass it off as an unstable place of earth. He couldn't let that happen. He earthbended the lava, Raising it and sculpting it, then when he was done, he brought water and cooled the lava down so that it solidified, he then turned and left, leaving his symbol etched into the remains of the dead factory.

He had returned to his city, returned to save his people. He was ready to fight. He had heard that the Assassin had made a large impact with destroying the factory of Siwang. Rebellions where starting to spring up across the fire nation. Small groups of fire nation citizens fighting to end their cities oppression. However soldiers that patrolled cities had become even more obnoxious bullying citizens even more, especially in his city. He was going to stop that tonight. This evening there was going to be a party for the soldiers and he was going to crash it and remind the soldiers change is here and ready to kick some butt.

He approached the festival grounds wearing his assassins cloak. He wasn't sticking to the shadows, rather walking in plain view straight through the city. As he passed villagers they bowed slightly to him giving thanks. As he neared the place of the party, a field with some tents set up, he felt the soldiers ahead, guarding the entrance. The guards squinted as he approached unsure. They realized too late. Nazca pulled out two knives, cutting their throats as he passed through. A guard saw him and yelled. He parried that guards attacks and stabbed in the heart. Two archers strung their bows but Nazca through his knives at them, killing them. He drew his sword as guards gathered around him. He quickly dispatched those nearby, moving on to others as they fell. Soon however he was surrounded. He smiled then inhaled and bended earth, knocking those around him to the ground. He killed those on the ground around him quickly as more guards gathered. Two guards swung at him while another sent a blast of fire at him. He parried the swords men then turned to the firebender. He was about to send a blast of earth at him when it happened.

The eclipse began.

Unbeknownst to Nazca an eclipse was to happen that day for a duration of eight minutes. The eclipse would strip the firebenders of their ability to firebend and therefore Sokka had decided to plan an invasion that day.

Nazca however never knew about the eclipse and when he lost his ability to firebend he was so confused that he failed to block the firebenders attack. He felt the heat hit him. He was confused out of his mind, no longer able to feel the fire he had no knowledge it was there. Then it spread across his cloths and reached his body, he yelped as he felt the fire spread to his arm. He tried to pat it off but it spread to his hand. Then HE felt it burn through his cloths to his chest. Nazca screamed as he was burned alive.

To the spectators it was a gruesome event. They saw Nazca collapse upon the ground his body slowly being consumed by fire. He writhed in pain trying t escape the heat then as a last ditch effort he sent himself flying into the air with a huge blast of earth. He felt himself fly and then land, splashing into water, extinguishing the fire. He pushed himself with all his strength, waterbending himself as far as he could, he felt himself fly for a while, losing consciousness. Then he slammed into a rock surface. He tried to reach out but with no energy left and in too much pain he fainted.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter eighteen Forgotten Love

The pain was unbearable. He couldn't focus, the scars from the fire pricking him like the fire was still there. He felt his skin, dry and crackled. As he touched it his body screamed in pain the slightest touch all too sensitive. He rolled over, his burning in protest, and fell off the bed he was on.

"Easy there," Nazca heard a voice say. He expanded his sight, attempting to focus and blurrily found a man standing near him. He felt a bed next to him and he realized he was inside in some strange room with a bunch of beds.

"Where am I?" Nazca asked, his voice strained and dry.

"I hate to say it," the man said grimacing, "but you're in prison. You showed up right at our front door and when they saw your waterbending they told me to bring you back to health and then they could throw you in a cell."

"How do I look?" Nazca asked, trying to form a smile but it just ended up as a grimace.

"Awful, what happened?"

"I bit off more than I could chew and ended up getting burned."

The man smiled, "Firebenders."

"Yep."

"So I've been trying to nurse you back to health but these burns are extremely severe, it'll take a while and you'll definitely be scarred."

Nazca thought for a moment wondering what to say, trying to determine if he could trust him.

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Depends."

"It's a skill that I have that will help me recover but I don't want the fire nation to force me to work for them."

The man thought for a moment then said, "Only because you're a kid, I keep your secret."

"Good, then can you draw me a bath. And fill it all the way up."

The man looked at him quizzically than brought Nazca over to the bathrooms, supporting him as he walked.

"My name is Shen," he said he then sat Nazca down and grabbed a bucket of steaming water, "The heated water comes from the lake, its heated by the lava of the volcano. Right know were in the crater of the volcano and the water gets so hot here it will actually boil. That where we get our name, the boiling rock," Shen explained then, "So what do you need the bath for."

Nazca hobbled over to the water and sensed it a set it to a comfortable temperature. He shakily climbed in that laid down submerging all but his head, "I can heal," He said with a smile then submerged his body.

He focused his energy, channeling his waterbending to use the power he had once found. He felt the energy flow through him then leave as he released it into the water. The water became soothing and he felt his skin soften, the pain became less intense and he felt the burning subside. He stayed under for a minute healing as much as he could, then broke the surface, filling his lungs with air.

"Whoa," Shen said, "You where like glowing." He then looked at Nazca's body and gasped.

"How do I look now?"

"A hundred times better, how do you feel?"

"A thousand times better," the pain had virtually receded from his body he could focus. He inhaled then expanded his mind, using all four elements to shape the place. What Shen had said was true, he was in a prison on what seemed to be a boiling lake. He was in what appeared to be a hospital wing and he felt the real cells under him, the hospital was on the top floor. The building was shaped to resemble a U. Nazca was at the head and in between there was a place where all the prisoners where located at the moment.

The building was located on an island in the middle of a boiling lake and the outsides of the lack where shaped by the walls of the volcano. The only way to the island beside through the boiling lake and scaling the fifty feet high cliffs surrounding it was the gondola.

"Call the guards," he told Shen, "Have them escort me to my barracks, in the mean time fill me in on what happens here."

Shen called for escorts then began, "It's simple, you live your life in your cell, get your food and sleep there and every once in a while you're allowed into the courtyard for a break."

"So we are let out of the cell."

Shen nodded, looking at him puzzled, "You better not be thinking of breaking out of here," he said, "Nobody has escaped from here, nobody."

As the guards rounded the corner Nazca smiled at Shen, "I'm nobody."

He awoke the next day plotting, dinner had been delivered to him through a slot and it seem rather predictable, the guard seemed to do it lazily, not caring when or if the prisoners ever got their food. The doors where made of metal, easily movable, the tricky part would be scaling the wall unnoticed. He might be able to get through the water b cooling the water around him as he moved but it would be extremely difficult and when he reached the cliffs he wouldn't have enough energy to scale them, if he hijacked the gondola there would be nothing he could do to prevent them from cutting the line. He was thinking of an alternate way off of the rock when the door slid open. Free time he guessed, and walked outside. He was on the second floor and he felt people walk by him towards the stairs. He followed them as they descended into the courtyard. HE walked over to a deserted place and sat down. He expanded his mind sensing who else was here that might help him create a distraction. He felt a large man with a beard walk over to him. He had hunched shoulders, and multiple wrinkles and a deep voice.

"Hey what's your name?" He asked.

"Nazca."

"What are you doing all the way over here by yourself?"

"Thinking," Nazca replied still smiling.

"Your new here aren't ya," The man sighed than sat down in front of him. "No one has ever escaped from here."

Nazca nodded understanding, "Someone will."

The man shook his head, "You seem young to be in a top priority prison, what you do?"

"I threw myself on their doorstep and they arrested me for waterbending."

"So you a waterbender huh," the man nodded thinking, "Say come over with my pals, we protect you here, no one will mess with you."

Nazca thought about it then realized that it would be good to have someone on his side, "Your willing to help me even though I'm a waterbender?"

"It wouldn't matter if you were the avatar, we're all prisoners here," He turned and started walking back to his friends, "My name's Sorn," he said, "Got thrown in here for stealing."

"They through you in here for just stealing?" Nazca asked surprised.

"Stole a couple of royal artifacts as a matter of fact, I even stole a headpiece that was to be worn by the crown prince." he said smiling, "Did it for the now traitor general Iroh, although if you ask me, I think the fire nation is a traitor to the world."

They arrived at the small group made up of five people other than Sorn, "This here is Vahn," he said pointing to a heavily bearded man, "Feln and Zilk," he said as he pointed to the two sitting across from each other, "Quan," He said indicating to a thin and muscular man standing across from him, "and Hevh," he said pointing to a tall bulky man in the corner, "he doesn't talk much and will only hurt you if you piss him off," He said laughing, "Everybody else, this is Nazca, and he'll be joining us until he escapes," He said smiling.

The others laughed and the man named Quan said, "Nobody has ever nor will ever escape from here bud, get that through your head before you do anything stupid."

Nazca shrugged, "I'm nobody."

The other men shook their head then Nazca stopped. He felt her not so far from him, sitting by herself, appearing to be plotting something, Nazca's heart raced as he realized who it was. He began walking to her then turned around and said to the men, "If you would please excuse me I think I know somebody."

"Who?" Sorn asked.

Nazca pointed to her, "That girl sitting over there."

The men shrugged, "See you around then."

Nazca raced over to her his heart pounding in his chest. He covered the remaining feet then stooped trying to catch his breath and slow his heart. The girl looked up at him and asked, "Can I help you?"

Nazca shook his head smiling, "Man, am I glad to hear your voice again, Suki."


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen Love

"I'm sorry, do I know you."

Nazca stopped confused, "You don't recognize me."

Suki shook her head then examined him more closely, then she gasped, "Oh my, Nazca what happened to you," she exclaimed as she gingerly reached out to touch his face.

"I kind of just got burned."

"How? Who did this to you?"

"Well I was doing what I normally do: fighting some firebender, when all the sudden there was all of a sudden a fire blast coming at me from behind. I turned and tried to waterbend it away from me but it was too late and I caught on fire. I immediately threw myself into the water and awoke here."

"Wow," she said, "That really sucks. Not only do you get burned alive but you end up in a fire nation prison when you try to save yourself," she said with her face breaking into a grin.

Nazca laughed as he realized this was true even through the minor lie he had made.

"How'd you end up in here?" Nazca asked smiling.

Suki stopped for a moment thinking, "When was the last time that I saw you?"

Nazca thought for a moment then said, "The last time we talked was before I left for the first time but I saw you the day that Sokka, Katara and Aang came to Kyoshi Island."

Suki thought back to it for a moment then asked, "How do you know Sokka Katara and Aang?"

Nazca smiled, "Everyone knows Aang, he's the avatar although I don't really know him, I've seen him before and overheard his name but we've never met. As for Katara and Sokka, their my siblings, adoptive at least."

Suki made a sharp intake, "Wait you're their brother?"

"Only adoptive brother. When my parents were killed I was close enough to their family that the took me in and raised me as one of their own."

Suki, thinking about all of the events preceding this, "I take it that because you're in prison you lost the cloak."

Nazca cringed, "Yeah it kind of got burned when I caught on fire and I don't think I'll be getting it back."

Suki smiled, "You know I made that for you."

"You actual made it? Wow, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to ruin on you."

"It's okay," Suki said with a smile, "I can make you another one."

Nazca smiled, "That'd be great, it's kind of my signature cloak, one of my main traits as the Assassin."

Suki frowned, "You're the Assassin, the one who leaves the water tribe insignia at the scenes."

"That would be me."

"You're lucky that the warden didn't recognize you, you would probably been executed, the fire nation wants you dead and there's a high reward for your life or your death, just as long as they have your body."

Nazca shrugged, "Well in that case I had better break out of here, what's your plan so far?"

Suki looked at him sadly, "I don't have a plan, there's no way out of here. Where prisoners until the end of the war."

Nazca smiled smugly, "Not on my watch," he leaned over and gave he a light kiss on the cheek, "I'll get us out in no time."

Then he went to work.

He was creating a tunnel out. During the break times he would go sneak off and start tunneling. He had built at least a hundred meters worth of tunnel, it being difficult as he had to make it water proof and create the tunnel but he kept on working. It took him almost a week but soon his tunnel was finished. Tonight he would relax and tomorrow he would lead Suki and himself out of here. He walked back to his cell relaxed as it neared time to return to his barracks. He was so focused on trying to make it all run smoothly that he almost didn't notice him, but he did.

Two days ago there had been a failed escape attempt and those who had escaped where aided by someone, a guard the man claimed. The guard who the man said aided him was taken and interrogated but Nazca knew it wasn't him. It was another guard but he had not worried about who until now. Now when the guard when Nazca recognized the gait of the guard walking past him. It was Sokka.

He sprinted back to his barracks hoping to find Suki and warn her. He reached her cell right before she was going to return to it.

"Nazca! What are you doing here?" she asked surprised.

"Do you know that Sokka is here?"

"Yeah he came by to my cell yesterday, said he was working on an escape attempt."

Nazca nodded thinking, as much as he wanted to stay with Suki, he knew he shouldn't go with Sokka as he would lead him to the avatar. He couldn't see Aang yet, now was too soon. Instead he would have to let Sokka and Suki escape together while he escaped alone, "You go with Sokka, and be sure you don't tell him about me. He can't know that I'm here." he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. At first she attempted to pull back, her feeling for Nazca confused with those for Sokka but then she relented. They kissed passionately going into her cell and Nazca sealing the door behind them. They fell to the ground kissed and slept."

Nazca awoke early in the morning the next day. Today was the day when all the plans would come together. He had to be ready. He lightly roused Suki, giving her a light kiss on the forehead whispered, "I'll be watching you." then ran off away from the cell.

He sat perched at the highest point of the prison, away from sight waiting for Sokka's escape attempt to begin, then the prisoners started a riot. Nazca watched the chaos begin as guards and prisoners alike fought each other for no reason. He scanned the field then felt them, they were over in a corner, Sokka, his dad Hakoda, Suki, some burly man and the prince Zuko. Apparently he was on their side now Nazca noted. Then he felt Suki star running, she jumped from head to head quickly gathering ground. Then she quickly scaled the wall, towards the warden, she vanquished two guards quickly and captured the warden, the rest of the group catching up with her in time, breathless. He then felt them head over to the gondola. So they were going to kidnap the warden and hijack the gondola. They took the gondola quickly and Zuko sent the line reeling them off, with the handed broken off so they couldn't pull them back. He moved quickly to the area near the gondola and perched himself out of sight watching closely, then the two girls he had met earlier came, Azula and Ty Lee. Ty Lee climbed on top of the line and began running across it like and acrobat, Azula grabbed a pair of hand cuffs and locked one side on the line and held the other side. She propelled herself forward with firebending and they both headed rapidly towards the moving gondola that Sokka and the others where on. Nazca figured that they could handled themselves and sat back relaxed. Then the warden yelled to cut the line. Nazca sat up immediately worried. He felt them lock the line then begin sawing the line. Nazca realized that if they cut the line they wouldn't stand a chance. He felt Ty Lee and Azula star heading back on another gondola that had passed by. Nazca prepared to once again reveal himself to the world when it happened. The other girl, Mai, came in and took out the guards with stilettos. She locked the guards down, restricting them from movement , then sent the gondola moving again. Nazca stared impressed and the girl. Guess this girl was on his side now. He felt the gondola escape from the island, know it was his turn to achieve freedom. Then he felt Ty Lee and Azula returned. He heard Azula yell and Mai, then Mia retort. Then they each got into a fighting stance and just when he felt the fight about to begin Ty Lee ended it. She hit Azula in some strange fashion, causing her to collapse limp, guess Ty Lee was also on his side. He felt the two girls get ready to leave but where then surrounded by guards, Azula gave the orders and they were thrown into a cell. Great, Nazca thought, someone else to save.

He approached the cell quickly, disguised in a guards uniform, his plan was to free them quickly and then take them to the tunnel where they would escape. He opened the door quietly and slipped in. He felt the attacks approaching long before they hit but due to the fact he was trying to close the door quietly to explain himself he had no time to react. The girl Ty Lee did the same thing she did to Azula. Her small jabs hit him in pressure points and suddenly his body seemed to lose control and he collapsed.

"Argh," he groaned, "I'm on your side."

"And what side is that?" Mai asked.

"The one against the fire nation, against Azula and with the avatar."

"We're not with the avatar," she said.

"Well you're against Azula and as far as I can tell your with Zuko so that kind of makes you with the avatar."

Mai stared at him angrily thinking then said, "Fine where with you, what's your plan."

Nazca smiled, he knew they would have to join him, he had the only way out.

"Secret tunnel. Now bring me some water."

Ty Lee walked over and grabbed her water and moved it near Nazca who lay limp on the ground. He inhaled and concentrated. He would have to been without any movement except for his head. He pulled his head up raising the water. He brought it over to him and began healing himself.

"You're a waterbender," she commented, "Wait do I know you… wait it's you Nazca!"

Then she thought with a confused expression, "I thought you were a firebender?"

Nazca smiled, regain his arms to heal the rest of his body, "It was a trick to gain your trust, just a small bit of oil and a spark."

He soon finished healing the rest of his body. He froze the water around his arm to keep it at his side.

"C'mon I have to go pick something up."

"What?" Mai asked.

"My cloak."

During the time that Nazca had spent at the boiling rock he had stolen the materials that Suki needed to rebuild his cloak and she had made it during the time she spent in her cell. Nazca and the girls quickly covered the ground between themselves and the place Suki said she had left it for him. It had been placed near her cell, a convenient place for her to leave it but not so convenient for Nazca to retrieve it. They quickly ran through the halls, Nazca making sure no guards where nearby before heading down. Soon however he reached his destination. He quickly sprinted over to the fake floor panel he had made for Suki to hide it and lifted it up silently. He reached in, grabbed his new cloak and was off.

He began running for the secret entrance to his tunnel, a fake wall he had created in a rarely used room.

Then he came face to face with seven guards.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty A Helping Hand

Nazca used the water on his arm to slam the nearby guards to the wall and freeze them there. He ran through to the fake wall he had created and kicked it with all his might causing it to crack along the middle and open.

"Go!" he told Mai and Ty Lee just as another guard called for backup, "I'll catch up soon."

The girls nodded and ran pass Nazca. As Ty Lee passed he told her, "Take this," handing her his cloak. She then followed Mai ] through the tunnel as Nazca turned to fight another guard, Nazca felt the girls get far enough away and just as a group of ten or so guards came in, he brought all the water around him together and slammed it up against the sealing of the tunnel causing it to crack and then shatter as water from the lake poured down. He sealed the roof with silent earthbending and made a huge wall of ice blocking off the tunnel from the both sides. The firebenders would eventual melt it but it would give the girls time to escape. Nazca could handle himself.

"Freeze!" one guard yelled.

Nazca turned around viewing the guards again and was amazed, a force of at least thirty guards had gathered. He would have to use another element to break out and he didn't want that so instead he did the only logical. He keeled down held out his wrists and surrendered. Three guards cautiously moved towards then, seized his arms and bound them behind his back and walked him off.

He awoke in a small and empty room except for one guard. Nazca was bound to the chair in the middle of the room. He studied the guard closely and realized that the guard was the warden. The warden looked at him curiously then spoke.

"You're a waterbender assassin."

Crap, Nazca thought. There was no easy way out of this one, they knew he was the assassin.

"So."

The warden stared intently at Nazca's eyes then said, "Look at me when I'm taking to you."

Nazca smiled then said, "I can't"

The wardens expression hardened then he said, "You can and you will."

He reached out and grabbed Nazca's head forcing him to look at the warden. The warden expression soften as he saw his eyes then he said, "Oh, sorry kid, I didn't know,"

He sighed and sat down on the ground, "You know I'm not mad at you at all."

Nazca brow creased, puzzled, "Why, I released two prisoners, unless…unless you caught them already."

The warden smiled, "I haven't even sent out a search party. The truth is kid, since princess Azula left you helped me out."

"How."

"Mai's my niece."

Nazca stared surprised.

"The thing is I want to just let you go so you can get them off the island with your waterbending but I can't just let you go."

Nazca thought for a second then said, "I've always got a plan."

The guard heard the five knocks, the sign that the warden was ready to leave. He quickly lifted the latch and opened the door. He didn't have time to register what happened until the boy was gone down the hall. Nazca had the warden with a sharp piece of ice at his neck and had forced him to give the secret code to leave. As the boy left he grabbed the guards knife and then began running. Then he turned the corner and was gone.

"What are you doing?" the warden yelled, "Find him and end him!"

Nazca sprinted down the hall to the courtyard. As he broke into the courtyard he quickly scanned around him for the nearest wall and began running for it. Then the alarms went off. Guards started pouring out into the courtyard looking for the problem, then they saw him. Nazca quickly climbed the wall but just as he reached the top, soldiers surrounded him from both side holding their fist ready to firebend.

"Surrender," one guard called, "You're surrounded."

Nazca stepped up onto the guard rail and took a breath.

The guard laughed, "You'll never survive."

Then Nazca jumped.

Ty Lee and Mai where hiding near the beach by a small fire Ty Lee had managed to build. The tunnel had led them all the way out to the beach where there was a large pile of racks that they used to block the tunnel off. They were waiting for Nazca to come but Mai was beginning to think he wasn't coming.

"I told you he probably got caught, we have to leave now before guards come."

Ty Lee shook her head, "No, he was able to fool us into thinking he was a firebender, and he was the assassin. There's no way they could beat him."

"How do you know he's the assassin?"

"C'mon, look at his cloak," she said lifting up the garment, "Tell me this doesn't look exactly like the assassins."

Mai sighed, "So maybe he's the assassin, how does that mean he'll be able to fight off all those guards, he knew he wouldn't be coming back."

"They why did he say so?!" Ty Lee pressed.

Mai sighed, "Why do you even care? He already admitted to lying to us once."

Ty Lee blushed shyly, "I just think we shouldn't abandon him."

Mai looked at Ty Lee curiously and was about to press deeper but decided against it.

"We'll give him until the morning."

Ty Lee smiled and the two girls prepared for bed.

Mai awoke to the smell of ocean. She then realized she was in the middle of the ocean floating on a block of ice with just Ty Lee. Mai carefully stood up to wake Ty Lee but then she heard a voice say, "Let her sleep a little longer."

Mai bolted up and looked around for the voice. She realized that what appeared to be the assassin's cloak and some other cloths was actually Nazca, the assassin himself wearing the cloak.

Nazca realized she was staring and asked, "So how's it look on me."

Mai shrugged, "I've seen better."

Then Nazca asked, "What color is it."

Mai turned and looked at Nazca confused, "What sort of question is that?"

"An honest one," he said with a shrug.

"It's black, why?"

Nazca sighed relieved, "Good, I thought it might be white."

Mai looked even more confused and Nazca taking note said, "I'm blind but I see with waterbending."

Mai nodded then said, "So how did you get out?"

"Easily," Nazca said smiling.

Mai's expression didn't change and she said, "What did you do?"

Nazca sat back on the walls he had made so the ice would float easier and said, "It was really all your uncle's work. We faked a scene of me holding him against his will and then I made a run for it. He was happy I helped you escaped and wanted me to get you out safely."

Mai nodded, "So where are we going know?"

Nazca got into a comfortable position and began to start pushing the boat with waterbending before saying,

"To war."


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter twenty one The Assassin's return

She stared ahead at the man, his sleek black hair resting softly on his head, a short scraggly beard on his face. He appeared older then he was but his height gave him away. He was around sixteen, the same age as her. Then he looked up and stared at her. She gasped surprised, he was blind. He began walking towards her, quickly closing the distance between them in a matter of steps. He stopped, his body pressing against hers, his face inches away from her own. His features were rugged and handsome, his eyes were a soft grey, the blue that they had once been still shown through. She lifted up her hand and traced the scar that passed through his eyes, still visible, permanent as it was. She felt his heated breath against her face, his arm reached up and lightly pulled her arm away from his face. His arm was, hot and was getting hotter. The man leaned in and kissed her, holding her tightly against him. She felt his body heating up, his breath tasted of ash. She pulled back from him and looked at him.

He tilted his head sideways, questioning, but as he did this a piece of his chin fell off, crumbling to ash. She gasped and tried to pull away but he had her in an iron clad embrace. The boy began to fall to pieces, crumbling to ash as fire sprouted from within. She wiggled and pulled, attempting to flee as the fire neared her but soon it was too late. It happened in a second, the fire was inching closer and closer to her, then as it touched her she immediately was engulfed in fire.

Ty Lee screamed.

Mai jumped up, startled, and rushed over, "What's wrong?"

Ty Lee shook her head, "Nothing, just a bad dream," she sat up, shaking off the images that burned into her mind. Just then Nazca pulled himself out of the water onto their makeshift raft, "What's wrong?" he asked worried.

Ty Lee shook her head, "Just a dream."

Nazca nodded, understanding, then he used waterbending to dry himself off. He turned and sat down, facing forward, and continued to push their raft with waterbending.

Ty Lee turned to Mai and asked, "Not sure yet, he's being real vague about it, but he'll probably tell soon enough."

Ty Lee nodded and sat back. She stared over at, Nazca as lay back on the deck, moving his hand lackadaisically. He wasn't as cute as before, he was scarred and his skin was blistered and peeling. She remembered before, his skin was soft and dark, and his hair was a sleek black. Now though only a small new growth of hair rested on his head. There was something about him however, something that she liked. It was just something about, then she realized it was his aura. It was black, but not a dull black no, a sharp intense piercing black, but there was something else, a white within the black, it wasn't grey, nor speckled it just seemed to be a part of him. She realized this must be why she liked him, the complexity, the unexplainable, his unique aura.

She sat up and gingerly crawled her way over to Nazca, careful not to tip the raft. As she approached she saw how badly burned his face was, the scar crossing over his eyes and the peeling blisters. She sat down near him and asked, "So where are we going?"

He shrugged like he didn't know and didn't care. Ty Lee frowned puzzled, "So where just drifting out in the middle of the ocean waiting to die."

Nazca sighed, "Right now I'm thinking."

"About what."

"Whether or not I should kill fire lord Ozai."

Ty Lee smiled, "And what makes you think it's even possible."

"I know it's possible, I'm just wondering if I should let the avatar do it."

Ty Lee thought for a moment then said, "I don't think that if Ozai was killed by an assassin that the war would end, Azula would just rise up in his place."

"So what's different if the avatar does it?"

"Because the avatar could step in and help restore the fire nation to what it once was."

Nazca nodded in agreement, "I guess you right, do you know of any place where we could stop and not be discovered?"

Ty Lee thought for a moment then said, "Ember island, no one goes to Zuko's old beach house anymore, it be empty for sure."

"Ember Island it is then."

Then he felt it, the water vibrating as it was pushed away from its hulking mass, "Mai," he called, "get over here now!"

Mai quickly crawled over to where he was, "What's going on?"

"Listen closely, you both recently escaped the avatar and have been sailing on this raft for over a day. Understand?"

They both nodded their head, "Why what going on?" Ty Lee asked.

Nazca shook his head, "I'll see you soon," and with that he dived into the ocean.

Mai sighed, "Great he just ditched us."

Ty Lee frowned puzzled, "He's not telling us something."

"What made you figure that out, the obscurity of his disappearance?"

Ty Lee shook her head, "I know but what is he hiding?"

Mai sighed, "He probably just ditched us."

"No," Ty Lee said a grin breaking out across her face.

"What now?"

"That," she said pointing forward.

Mai gasped as she saw it, a hulking fire nation boat, heading right towards them, "What are we going to do?"

Ty Lee shrugged, "What he told us to say, we were captured by the avatar."

Mai leaned back, "Let's hope it works."

As they approached the boat they could hear the churning of the waves as it sliced through the water like a sharpened sword. Soon a man called from the boat yelling something to his other crew men and a ladder was dropped for them. They quickly scaled the ladder to the deck where they were met by two guards and a man who appeared to be in charge, "Who are you, and are you doing out here?"

Mai said, "I'm Mai and this is Ty Lee, we worked with princess Azula until recently when we were captured by the avatar. We quickly escaped and have been on this raft for over a day."

The man's eyes widened and he knelt down, the other guards following suit, "It is an honor to be in the presence of Azula's right hand women, the famous Mai and Ty Lee. Guards!" he called out, "Escort them to my quarters, you can stay there until we reach a base near ember island." he said to them.

"Thank you," Ty Lee said. Then two guards came forward and lead them off.

One of the guards approached the man in charge as soon as they were out of sight and whispered something inaudible to anyone else, then his voice raised slightly and he said , "Another thing sir, the girls Mai and Ty Lee where labeled as traitors and recently escaped from the high security prison at the Boiling Rock."

The man nodded and then said, "Wait for them to get comfortable and then lock them in my quarters, we'll move them later."

The guard nodded and then was off, only three people hearing the conversation, general Shyu Tal, a guard named Siku and an assassin by the name of Nazca.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two The Beginning of the End

It was swift and precise. As the guard approached the edge of the boat hearing the commotion, the assassin quickly grabbed him and pulled him over board, cutting his neck at the same time. He then climbed on the boat and ran towards the next guard, dealing with him then throwing him over board. He quickly ran about the back side of the deck, dealing with the guards there. He moved to the front of the deck and entered the inner part of the ship, careful to remain silent and undetected.

He paused for a moment and lightly punched the wall, sending vibrations throughout the whole deck. Mai and Ty Lee where easily found, being in the largest room, but he had an extremely unexpected discovery. He smiled to himself, whispered, "My lucky day," paused for a second and said, "Guess I have to take out the entire ship."

He returned to the deck where he had left at least twenty guards alive, he had snuck in the shadows unnoticed. This time however the was no sneaking. As he stepped outside he slammed the heavy iron door behind him, creating a reverberating sound that all of the guards turned to see. The first two guards never laid their eyes on him as he plunged the knives he had stolen through the backs, right behind their heart. He followed through by slicing the knives through the next two guards necks. As the guards saw their first four comrades fall they began to draw their swords, but the next nearest three soon had a knife plunged through their hearts. The assassin quickly moved on to the next two guards who had finished drawing their weapons but with a quick roll and a slice to their heel they collapsed in pain. He moved on to the final group of five who had all finished drawing their weapons. He quickly picked up a sword of a fallen man and charged toward the group. He jumped up at the last moment, stabbing down at the man's heart. He landed and faced the other nine waiting for them to strike. As one did, he blocked the downward swipe, diving forward and sending the sword through the man's stomach. He took the sword them man was holding as he fell and turned around quickly plunging his sword through another man's heart. He quickly finished off another six, stabbing them in their chests. He then turned to the other soldier who turned around and began running to alert the rest of the ship. Nazca quickly pulled out his knife and through it, finding its place in the man's back.

He quickly moved back into the ship and headed for the steering room. When he reached there he quickly killed the man there and then returned to the hull. He ran to where Ty Lee and Mai where being held. He felt two soldiers guarding their cell ahead. He paused for a moment then sprinted, silently, towards them. The guards heard a sudden rushing movement and turned to face it but the knife had already passed through their throats. They swayed for a moment then collapsed dead. He stepped over their bodies and opened the door. This time he felt her hand coming as he opened it and with lightning fast reflexes, grabbed her hand before it made contact.

"Nazca!" Ty Lee exclaimed., pulling her hand back and embracing him in a hug.

"About time," he heard a voice say from the bed.

"Nice to see you too Mai," then he turned serious, "We're hijacking this boat right now, so I need you two to go to the engine rooms and take out any guards there, I'll handle the rest of the men in this part of the deck, there's someone I need to talk to."

Ty Lee looked questioning but Nazca quickly turned and left, "C'mon," Mai said, "Let's go do whatever he told us to do."

Nazca moved quickly down to the lower levels of the ship. He kept silent ensuring that he was undetected. On the first hall he came to he found his first target. The two guards were standing talking lightly to each other when it happened. Nazca rushed forward, slit the nearest guards throat, rolled past the other guard jumped up and did the same to him. As the two guards fell, Nazca opened the door and an instant later was gone, already out of sight.

He then moved on to the other posts, and dealt with the guards there ensuring he was not spotted by anyone. As he finished he returned to the engine room to meet up with Mai and Ty Lee. As he reached there he smiled as all the men were rolling on the ground in pain, "Nice work," he called out sensing the girls above him, ready to take out the invader.

Mai jumped down landed in a crouched stance but Ty Lee moved more gracefully, doing a series of flips until finally landing on her hands, "So what's next?" she asked.

"There some people we know on this ship, I want to meet them first, after they recognize me I want you to come alright, I'm going to be on the deck, so meet me there in a couple minutes."

"Wait," Mai interrupted, "who's here."

"Some old friends."

Nazca approached the boat excited, he had not talked to some of them in years, he was ready to end this war together. Then he remembered what could happen, what had happened the last time he was in this proximity to them, but he realized, it didn't matter, it had to end this way there was no other way. He slipped quietly out on to the deck and headed for the bow, as they came into sight he heard one of the men who he had truly kill say, "It's the Assassin. He has come to kill us all. The Final arbiter decides who lives and dies. He has no mercy there is no hope!"

As Nazca head these words he stepped from the shadows of which concealed him and spoke saying, "No hope for you that is."

As the words left his mouth he pulled out his knife and through it, sending it straight for the man, the girl hovering over him yelped and tried to dodge it but it found its mark in the man's chest. Nazca walked over and pulled his knife out, then rinsed of the blade and his hands. He then stood up and faced the group, taking of his hood.

There were various responses, most gasping but one teenager said, "You?!"

Nazca smiled, happy to see his friends again, to be together, to end this war together and so he spoke, "Yes, me."


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three Reunited

Sokka stared forwards, his friend, his brother was not only alive was here on this very ship. He ran forward embracing his friend in a hug, he pulled back from him and faced him saying, "Where were you, what happened?" Nazca smiled, glad to see his friend again then said, "Long, story."

Katara followed Sokka's lead and ran over to give Nazca a hug, "I missed you so much," she whispered, tears starting to form around her eyes.

"I missed you too."

"I see your wearing my cloak," Suki spoke up.

Toph frowned puzzled, "How do you all know Nazca?"

"His name is Nazca?" Zuko asked confused.

"Wait." Aang said, a puzzled expression on his face, "Who are you?"

Nazca smiled, "Don't worry about anything right now, I'll explain it latter. However I do have some friends here that I think you do know."

It was at that moment that Mai and Ty Lee walked out of the heavy iron door and slammed it behind them.

"Mai," Zuko stated, overjoyed and yet afraid it might not be true.

"Zuko!" she almost exclaimed, running over and embracing him in a hug. Their were tears in her eyes when he spoke, "I'm so sorry."

She smiled, "That's okay."

Ty Lee ran over and also embraced him in a hug.

Aang shook his head, confused, "Wait a second, what is going on, why are they here and who in the world are you?" he asked first directed at the girls and then Nazca.

"Let me make this as simple as I can, We are all on your side and we are here to end this war."

They all turned to face each other as they realized one simple and plain truth, this war was going to end one way or another, and these nine people where their only shot at winning this war it was a tense moment until Toph finally spoke up, "Who's driving the boat."

"A dead guy," Nazca responded, "Why do you want to drive."

"It wouldn't really make a difference," She said with a shrug.

Nazca turned and faced the group, "Do any of you know how to drive one of these?"

Zuko shrugged, "I probably could why, do you not know how?"

Nazca looked up at him revealing his eyes, which had the remnants of a white scar passing through them, "Wait, Your blind?!" Sokka exclaimed.

"How did it happen?" Katara asked concerned.

"I got shot with an arrow."

Aang shook his head, "Everyone stop for a minute, WHO ARE YOU?"

Nazca smiled, "Zuko take the wheel, and everyone else get some rest, where heading for ember island, I'll explain everything in the morning."

After he said that everyone realized how tired they were. "Hey Mai, want to come help me?" Zuko asked.

"Sure," She responded with a smile.

The rest of them headed off to their rooms, Katara and Sokka filling Aang in on who Nazca was. Nazca headed off into the room that used to be the captains and began to meditate.

Later that night as Nazca was still in his trance, she came towards his room uncertain of exactly what her plan was, she knocked on the door before fear overcame her.

"Come in," Nazca said.

She walked into the room and saw Nazca, frozen still on the bed, his eyes closed and hands slightly raised.

"What are you doing?" Ty Lee asked.

"Expanding my consciousness so I can see more without thinking too hard. It's a simple concept really, the more I think about my surroundings now and try to expand my sight now the more open my mind will be in the future, such as in a movement I need it most."

"Like an archer."

"Something like that," he then relaxed and rested his hands, "So what brings you here?"

Ty Lee thought for a moment then said, "I guess I just want to know who you are, everything about you, even your aura is mysterious. I just want to know your story."

Nazca thought for a moment then said, "My story really begins with the origin of the universe but that would take forever so let me start with the Southern Water Tribe, I was raised by the same parents as Katara and Sokka but my previous parents had been killed some years earlier, my real parents however were all the way on the other side of the world. When I was twelve years old Katara and Sokka's mother was killed. I left in anger and trained with the Kyoshi warriors. I became a better fighter, then when blinded I used waterbending to see. I became an assassin, a cold blooded killer."

"Why?"

"Because someone needed to do something, do something to end this war, I took it upon myself."

"But why do you kill?"

"Because in a world where darkness rules, and light creeps in the shadows something must be done."

She walked over to the bed sat down next to him, "I don't think you're evil."

"Why not? I kill people, doesn't that make me evil."

"Not is your doing it for what's right, and I believe you are."

She looked over at him as she finished the sentence and he looked back at her, after a moment they slowly brought their lips together. They kissed quietly until they began to kiss more passionately. Ty Lee moved over on top of Nazca and pulled off his shirt, then her own and the two were soon lost in love.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four The Order United

"I have to leave."

"What!?" Ty Lee exclaimed, worried.

They had reached Ember Island that morning and had just made it to Zuko's house when he spoke.

"Where are you going?" Sokka asked.

"Ba Sing Se, I have some unfinished business to attend to. Don't worry I'll be with you when the end comes."

"I'm coming with you," Ty Lee said.

"No, I must go alone."

"Why?"

"Because I need to do this alone." Ty Lee was about to argue more but Nazca held his hand up silence her, "Destiny is a funny thing, we never know where we're going to end up, but when we get there we're glad we did. This war is coming to an end, and we are going to finish it together."

Nazca turned and began walking off, walking towards his secret, walking to Ba Sing Se, to set it free.

He stood on top of a small rock overlooking the camp, finally he was here. He had used a sophisticated form of running, using all the elements to increase his speed. He went fast but it was exhausting. He slid down the rock and launched himself into the camp, landing in the center near the head tent. The men and women within the tent turned to see him, nearly all got into a fighting stance but one man who was sleeping as usual.

"Great," he said to himself, "the only person who actual knows me is asleep."

Then one of the men relaxed and said, "Nazca?"

Nazca turned to the man, old like the rest of them, a waterbender, then he remembered, "Pakku!"

The man ran over to him and gave him a hug, "It's been a long time. What are you doing here?"

"Helping, I am Grand Master Nazca."

"That's you!? I thought it might be, but ah well you're here know," he then turned to the other members and said, "Easy everyone, this here is Grand Master Nazca of the Southern Water Tribe."

"Actually, I'm from the Northern."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah, Yue is my sister."

Pakku's expression's hardened, "Oh, I'm so sorry but Yue died, she gave her life up for the moon spirit, I'm so sorry."

"That's alright," Nazca said, "I know."

"How?"

"I have my ways."

Pakku lead him over to the tent where Iroh was and around it there were three other old men, "This is Bumi," he said pointing to the largest, "Jeong Jeong," pointing to the smallest, "and Piando," he said pointing to the one with a sword, "Iroh is inside when you're ready to talk," he said gesturing towards the tent.

"Thanks," Nazca said, then he walked in.

Conveniently Iroh had recently awaken and had just finished dressing as Nazca walked in, "Hey Iroh," Nazca said.

"Nazca, my you look terrible, what happened."

I lost my ability to firebend and caught on fire."

"Yes. An eclipse will do that to you."

"Is everything ready? Nazca asked,

"Yes. the invasion will happen during the comet. Are you ready?"

"I'm not sure I'm going to have to anymore."

"Why not?"

"Well he's ready, I think it would be best if he took care of it."

"Maybe, but will he have what it takes, Aang loves peace, he may fail at Ozai's weakest moment, what if he unwilling to kill him?"

Nazca smiled remembering that cheery kid he had once aided in capturing, "He'll stop him one way or another, I know it."

"So what are you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out, I have to go return to Aang before the comet though, I'll stay here until then but then I'll leave."

"The time is coming,"

"Our destinies are upon us,"

"This war will end."

"One way."

"Or another."

Over the next the Nazca slept like a child, he had been up so late the past nights he finally received the sleep he desperately needed until he finally woke up on the day of the comet. It had been used to end the air nomads, it would be used to end the war. He stood up and put on his Uniform, leaving his cloak in his bag, he would leave it here and grab it later, right now he was Grand Master Nazca and he needed to dress like it. Then he felt them, all throughout the camp, all of them, except one. Nazca sighed, why was he not here. He stepped outside his tent and walked over to the nearest one, "Where is Aang?"

Katara turned and looked at him surprised, "Nazca! What are you doing here?"

"I am a Grand Lotus," he said with a smirk, "Where is Aang?"

Katara leaned in close, "No one knows, it's like he doesn't exist."

"What!?"

"Zuko even had a tracking beast search for him,"

"No, no way, not now, on the day of the invasion he decides to leave." then he remembered, a vision he had when he was with the guru, Aang and Ozai fought, under a comet, it was going to happen he was sure of it. He sighed relieved.

"Nazca!" She sprinted over and embraced him in a hug, then pulled back and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"Hey Ty Lee."

Soon all of the group excluding Aang had gathered around him, "What's the plan."

Sokka spoke first, "The Order of the White Lotus here is going to liberate Ba Sing Se."

"I already knew that," Nazca interrupted.

"How did you end up here," Toph asked.

"I'm a Grand Lotus, this is why I came to Ba Sing Se."

"Anyways," Sokka broke in, "Suki, Mai, Ty Lee and I are going to stop the air fleet, while Katara and Zuko go fight Azula for the throne."

Nazca nodded, "I'll come with Zuko and Katara, and no one else is coming," he added staring at Ty Lee, "I'll fight of the royal guard."

"I had forgotten about them," Zuko said.

"Then let's go," Nazca said. Nazca Zuko and Katara got on Appa while the rest of them got onto to eel-hounds. They got ready to leave and Iroh came up to them, "Today," he said, "Destiny is our friend."


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five Revelation

Good timing, Nazca thought as they reached the royal palace, Azula was about to be crowned and the fire sages had stopped just in time. Zuko jumped down off of Appa, followed by Katara and Nazca, "You're not going to become fire lord today," He yelled, "I am."

Azula laughed, looking disheveled and partially insane, "Very well brother let's do this, the show down that was always meant to be, Agni Kai!"

"You're on!"

Katara gasped, "What are you doing, she knows she can't take all three of us so she's trying to separate us."

"I know, something's off about her," he said, "I can't explain, plus this way no one else has to get hurt," he looked from Nazca to Katara, waiting for affirmation.

Nazca nodded then said, "Kick her ass."

The preparation was swift as they cleared the courtyard for the battle, it would be over quickly, Nazca thought. The battle began. Fire, blue and red collided in a torrent of death. Shots were exchanged as they both held their ground. Azula began to advance but Zuko kept calm and knocked her down, "What! No Lightning today," he yelled, "Afraid I'll redirect it!"

"I'll show you lightning."

Nazca felt it coming a million times over, the moment that determined his fate, it was perfectly performed but luckily failed, simply said, she cheated. She formed the bolt, powered by the comet and sent it, not at Zuko, no, at Katara. Zuko leapt, as Nazca sprinted, into the path, and took the bolt to the chest. Katara ran over to attempt to heal him but Azula had already created another bolt and sent that one again at her, which found it's mark.

Nazca stepped forward from where he was hiding and took off his upper uniform, leaving him in pants. Azula smiled, "It's you, oh you had the uncle Fahn right, how's he enjoying prison."

Nazca smiled, "I'm from the water tribe."

Her expression changed to fury as she created another bolt and sent that one at Nazca who quickly ducked behind a pillar. She sent two more blasts of fire at him slightly scorching him. Furious at everything that had lead up to this moment, Nazca yelled, "I'm tired of hiding." and with that he stepped out of the shadows, and into the light. The light of his power.

He rose, floating, using airbending, he brought forth water from nearby, raised earth from the ground and summoned white fire, "No way," Katara whispered,

"I am Nazca of the Northern water tribe, and I am the second avatar."

He landed on the ground and sent the torrent of water, then earth and finally air all at Azula. She struggled, blocking the first two until the air knocked her back. She stood up fuming, "I guess the whole family gets to kill an avatar today!" She yelled. She summoned another bolt and sent it flying at Nazca.

He grabbed it with precision and began to redirect it. Then it hit him. The idea, the idea of what was to come, now there were two, two avatars. His existence was not necessary, he had been created because Aang was frozen, now Aang was free, now his purpose was complete, he felt his destiny coming to an end, the end. He raised his arm pointing it at Azula, still afraid to finish this, then it happened. He earthbended a prison around Azula and held on to the lightning.

The explosion sent him flying back, the pain searing through his arm and chest, he had secured Azula but he still existed. With the most powerful earthbending he had ever done he pushed himself and sent himself flying, through the air until he finally land in a heap of dull pain. He was somewhere, somewhere far away, but it didn't matter, it was finished, Aang would defeat the fire lord, that he was sure, Zuko would rise and peace would prosper. The war was finally over. As this thought went through his head he felt the darkness overcoming him, fighting him, until it finally won.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six The End

Katara somberly stood up, still aching even after healing herself and Zuko. She helped Zuko stand up, who grunted in pain. The looked at each other for a tense moment of realization of what happened then Katara spoke, "No one can know of what happened here, no one."

Zuko nodded understanding then he walked off to Azula, who was secured all the way up to her neck, she appeared deranged, insane even, the breathed fire, desperately trying to escape, but she remained, "Looks like it's over," Zuko said wearily.

Azula stared at him in the eyes, searching for a retort but none came to mind, thinking how pitiful she was right here she began to sob, Zuko turned away and walked over to Katara, "We'll have to move her,"

She nodded but at that moment the royal guard came out, they raised their arms at Katara and Zuko, who merely stood there, tired and in pain, then they saw a chained and imprisoned Azula, looked at each other then fell to their knees, the lead saying, "All hail prince Zuko."

Katara looked at him and said, "I wonder how Aang is doing."

As she spoke the comet finished its pass and returned to its orbit in space, "He'll beat my father, he's a tough kid," then he turned to the guards and said, "Take her and imprison her,"

They looked at him awkwardly and then said, "We're not earthbenders sir"

Zuko sighed, "Get and earthbender, but in the meantime watch her and make sure she doesn't escape, I have to leave."

"Do you really trust them?" Whispered to him.

"What choice do I have?" he said, walking over to Appa, "She's no threat now, come on lets go."

With that the boarded Appa and began heading for the fire lord's palace.

Within the end of the day the rest of the group had arrived, Aang had defeated the fire lord and Azula and he had been imprisoned, Sokka ran up the stairs towards Katara and Zuko, he had broken his leg and was using crutched to stand, he rested his crutches against himself and embraced Katara in a hug, "It's finally over." he said, his voice barely a whispered. Katara nodded, solemn from what she knew was to come, Sokka looked over at Zuko then back at Katara and asked, his brow furrowed, "Where's Nazca?"

Tears started to form around Katara's eyes as she shook her head, Sokka's eyes widened, "You mean he's, he's dead!?"

Mai who had ran up and given Zuko a hug said, "What's going on?"

Zuko spoke first, "The boy, Nazca, he was killed by Azula's lightning."

Mai's eyes widened and she turned around scanning the small crowd until she finally saw her, Ty Lee talking to Suki about becoming a Kyoshi warrior, "This is bad," she said, "Ty Lee spent the entire ride telling me about what they were going to do together, I mean she really loved him."

Aang raced up the stairs and gave Katara a hug, "Then as he noticed her solemn expression he asked, "What's the problem?"

"Nazca," Sokka said, "He died."

"WHAT!?"

Ty Lee raced over to Sokka and said, "What did you say?"

"Nazca was killed by Azula's lightning," he said, his voices cracking as tears came to eyes.

"No, no!" she yelled backing up, "Your lying!" tears started to fall from her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," Mai whispered to her.

"No you're not," she retorted, "You couldn't care less, none of you cared about him!"

"He was our brother!" Katara yelled at her.

"And our friend," Toph whispered.

"We all cared for him," Suki said, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Ty Lee shook her head, starting her head and turned and began to run away, Mai let go of Zuko and began to run after her but was stopped by Iroh, "Let her go," he said.

Mai looked solemnly over at Ty Lee, who continued to run, until she turned the corner, "He helped us win the war, we couldn't have done it without him," Iroh spoke then, "Let's go get you crowned."

After Zuko's coronation as fire lord came the funeral. The order of the white lotus was there along with many members of the southern water tribe, the gang was present and solemn. There was no body so they used his White Lotus uniform, after a moment of prayers for him they lit the garment, sending it ablaze. Iroh spoke while the uniform burned,

"He was a great warrior, and an even greater friend. He worked for peace, that was all he wanted, the peace for the nations, for the world. Although some things he did may be considered wrong, he always fought in the name of what was right, he knew he may not survive the war, and he was okay with that, all he wanted to do was make sure he ended it. He fought for us, for all of us, and so he fell, for us all."

One by one they walked up, mumbled something quietly and threw a flower into the fire. This continued for several minutes until Aang who was last walked up and threw his flower in saying, "Thank you."

Ty Lee sat there on the rock crying. She was where she first met him, the place where they were beaten by the giant beast. She sat there crying her heart out, she was sad, she had lost the person she loved most, but she was angry, she was angry and Zuko and that water tribe girl for letting him die, the girl could heal, why didn't she heal him, she was angry at Iroh, he had caused their original separation with this stupid order, but most of all, she was angry at Azula, angry because she, that royal piece of dung, killed him, now she was going to kill her and with that thought, she began to bend lightning.

It was formless and shapeless, but yet in knew all it needed to know. It had returned as it always said it would, it would now end them all, yes that was what it had swore to do so many, many years ago. The boy walked into the sanctuary, paying homage to the spirit that had saved this town the boy spoke saying, "I'm so sorry Yue, I've realized I was a real jerk to you, and I wanted to apologize, you deserved someone so much better than me but now your locked away here as the spirit of the moon, I wanted to also let you know that the war's over, the avatar beat him, but you probably already knew that." he paused tears forming, "I'm sorry."

The spirit, smiled to itself, the boy should be happy his girlfriend turned into the moon, she, at least would survive the ordeal, but it was time, the spirit had gathered enough energy to possess, and so he entered the boy and took control.

End of Book One


End file.
